Mass Effect: Return From the Omega 4 Relay
by MillaShepardSR2
Summary: A fan made continuation of Mass Effect 2 taking place shortly after Shepard and his crew defeat the Collectors.  Written from the point of view of both Commander Shepard and Ashley Williams.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 - Back to the Citadel (Bioware owns all)**

-The scene opens with Commander Milla Shepard on the Normandy, headed for the citadel.-

The Normandys' helmsman was in high spirits. It's not everyday you get to go home after a trip through the Omega 4 Relay. With the memory of his most recent aerial display playing back in his mind and a smug grin permanently etched on his face, Joker brought the Normandy down from FTL to more acceptable speeds as he approached the Citadel.

"This is SSV Normandy requesting a vector and a birth."

Shepard looked at the comm screen as it crackled on, while taking position in his usual spot behind the Normandy's Helmsman. Arms crossed, N7 armor on and armed to the tooth, he knew the exchange that was about to take place would most likely ruin his otherwise good mood. Although The Illusive Man was now out of the picture, and he and his team were successful in taking out the Collectors, it was still only a bitter sweet victory. He still had the Reapers to worry about, and getting the Council on his side was more important now, than ever.

"SSV Normandy this is Citadel Control, request granted, please proceed to dock 422."

As Joker brought the Normandy in to dock, Shepard looked out the window and saw what looked like a maintenance crew just coming off the elevator. He knew what would happen if they got inside the Normandy, and he wasn't about to hand over his ship to C-Sec or the Council or anybody else for that matter.

"EDI." he said as he turned around to face her console.

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Do not let anyone but the Normandy crew board you while i'm gone."

"Understood Shepard."

"So, do you think you'll get them to listen this time?" Joker said without his usual tone of sarcasm.

Shepard turned around and looked at Joker with a crooked smile.

"What's the matter Joker? Losing faith in your old Commander?" He was using light tones. Always trying to keep morale up for his crew. He remembered the last time he had a serious conversation with Jeff. It was in this exact room that not a few months ago they talked about _old times_. For most people reminiscing would have made for a pleasant conversation. For Milla Shepard, it only brought back memories of sadness, pain and loss. Joker recognized the facade of his superior and decided to play along. He couldn't be serious for too long anyway.

"Oh, well in that case i'll start the popcorn." he said with obvious excitement for the events to come.

"You really need to get out more Joker. Why not ask Chambers to join you for a meal while i'm gone?"

"That's funny Commander." he said with a smile and a grimace. "Brittle bones, remember? I think we both know how a night on the town would end with her sir, and i'd like to be able to walk much less move after today. Besides, I'm pretty sure her interests lie somewhere in the lower decks these days."

Once Shepard stopped laughing, he looked back down at his helmsman with the remaining hilarity on his face.

"Is she still after Thane?"

"What, like you didn't know. I feel bad for the guy honestly. The other day I grabbed a bite with him and he slipped into one of those memory things. It was something about, _she walks in, she starts dancing, I ask her to leave, she comes closer_." he said casually, lacking that usual sense of in the moment feeling it would've had when if he'd heard it from Thane. "Poor guy had to get up and leave, though I'm not so sure it's cos he was embarrassed, if ya know what I mean."

"Well, to be honest i'm not so sure we're going to see the Yeoman around much longer. I can't have her distracting the crew and potentially the mission but now that we're no longer with Cerberus I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see her go on her own anyway." He turned on his heels in the direction of the Normandys' main exit, waving his arm in a gesture of departure. "I'd better head down to the embassy. I wouldn't want to keep the Council waiting." he said sarcastically.

"Oh sure. The N7 Spectre gets to have _all _the fun." he shouted as Shepard disappeared around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - The Council's Decision (Bioware owns all)**

-The scene opens as Shepard reaches the human Embassy. Captain Anderson is at the far side of the large room looking down at the Presidium as Shepard approaches. -

"Shepard. I got word of your request for a meeting with the Council. What's this about?"

Shepard winced at the amount of contempt in Anderson's voice. He was never surprised to be talked at this way by the Council, but Anderson was a different story. Milla used to considered him his mentor, friend, and at times even a father figure. The relationship between them still wasn't the same since Shepard's resurrection. He couldn't blame Anderson for wanting to be careful with him. After all it was Cerberus who brought him back. He figured a certain amount of caution would be expressed by anyone who knew, at first. He just couldn't get around the fact that after all this time, Anderson was still keeping himself at a distance, literally and metaphorically. So far he was the only one in the Council who believed Shepard, which for now, was more important than anything else anyway. Against all instinct, he tried his best to hold his tongue for the moment.

"Harbinger is coming. The Reapers are leaving dark space and we need to be ready when they get here." he said, barely holding back the same tone Anderson used, while keeping his _i'm Commander Shepard, don't fuck with me _mask on at the same time.

"I believe you Shepard, but getting the rest of the Council back on your side is going to be impossible without proof."

"I know, and I have it. I need to speak with the rest of the Council immediately." he said, obviously ready to waste no more time.

"You're a little early, but they might be ready to see you now. I'll meet you at the tower." Milla turned around and exited Anderson's office without another word. It was strange to be on his old stomping grounds after so much time. He hadn't had the chance before now to see the Presidium up close since the attack. It looked like all hell broke loose last time he was here. Standing next to the closest Avina, where the Embassy's doorstep emptied passersby out to the rest of the Presidium, he had a flashback of his journey through the Conduit. It was hard to believe the place could be cleaned up so fast.

Walking around the Citadel was always a task for Shepard. On his way to the main entrance elevator to the Citadel Tower he received a few smiles of approved recognition from some, and several disdainful looks from others. It was almost never in between for him. Everybody knew who he was and had their own opinion of him because of it. He felt a sense of appreciation for those who acknowledged him with acceptance, and a blatant sense of curiosity for those who seemed to despise him. He couldn't help but wonder who he'd killed or what he'd blown up to piss them off. The thought made him smile, as he knew his "career choices" were all made to lessen the amount of scum wondering the Universe. For this, he felt no pity or regret.

As he entered the elevator and the doors closed, he began to wonder what obstacles the Council would put in his way this time. He knew enough about how they worked. They seemed to always know what decision they'd make before even being approached. In this case, he was hoping they'd make the right one. As he reached the upper most part of the Tower, he stepped off the elevator and into the large round room facing the many staircases that led to his destination. He walked around the fountain in the center of the room and could see Anderson waiting for him at the top of the furthest staircase.

Even here he was faced with the eyes of those nearby, following him. Though they were mostly politicians and representatives of the many races living on the Citadel, their collective fame or even infamy was unmatched to who he was and what he'd accomplished. Most held on to their conversations as he walked past, making their relentless staring less noticeable. As he made his way up the last few steps to Anderson, he took a deep breath and hoped for the best.

"Come on, the Council's ready to see you." He said, gesturing for Shepard to follow. They walked up to the center platform, which was a good twenty or so feet below and a hundred feet away from where the Council stood. Just another way of showing the rest of us, who was calling the shots on the Citadel. Anderson took his place, in front of, but not blocking Shepard's view as they waited to be addressed. It was the Turian Council member who spoke first

"Shepard. Captain Anderson has informed us that you have proof of the existence of the Reapers. We reinstated your Spectre status as a show of good faith Commander, but you still work for Cerberus. Why should we trust you?"

This kind of opening was to be expected, and Shepard was ready for it.

"The only reason I've been working with Cerberus is because they are the only ones who believe me! I was dead, they brought me back. I needed a ship, they built me one. I needed capable soldiers I could trust, and they supplied them to me. Me and my crew were working _**with**_ Cerberus, but we're not Cerberus! I've made it very clear to every one of my team who the orders come from Councilor."

The Turian was quick with his rebuttal.

"You mean The Illusive Man?"

"Enough! Shepard is still a Spectre and his opinion on this matter will be heard." chimed the graceful yet firm voice of the Asari Councilor. "Commander Shepard, you said you _**were **_working with Cerberus... Are we to assume that you're no longer with them?"

Smiling inside, he looked to the Asari Council member. _She doesn't miss a thing_.

"Yes Councilor. I've cut off all communications with The Illusive Man, and have begun preparations to re-assemble the larger part of the Normandy's crew as there are a few who remain loyal to Cerberus."

"This is good news indeed Commander." Croaked the Salarian Councilman. "However, if it is your intention to regain the loyalty of the Alliance and that of this Council, we will need to see further evidence of your standing, which can only happen over time."

Shepard knew it was coming. He knew it would take more than just disbanding himself from Cerberus to regain their trust. It wasn't any less of a pain in the ass to hear it though.

"A good first step Shepard, but you have a long way to go with us in the way of trust. What is this evidence you've brought before us today?"

Shepard made a mental note of the Turians ability to display strictly highs and lows in the way of verbal communication, and saw it as a way for him to intimidate more easily shaken opponents.

"I've just come from beyond the Omega 4 Relay."

Gasps from around the room echoed off the walls, and Shepard instantly had the attention of everyone within earshot.

"Me and my team disabled a Collector Ship there. They've been working as pawns for the Reapers, and were building a Reaper on board. It's why they've been abducting humans. They were using our organic material to construct it."

"Are we to assume that this human reaper is your proof?" said the Salarian in disbelief.

"Yes. Me and my team took it out, but the remains are still aboard. I'm requesting that you send a team to the coordinates to check it out. It should be all the proof you need."

"Being that this is a manner of some urgency Commander, we have no choice but to send a team in. However, if your statement is true, you're the only known being to ever come back from beyond the Omega 4 Relay, therefore the only one with the knowledge of what to expect." The Asari looked at each of her equals, as if conveying some unspoken message to them. "We'll allow you your team Commander, but you will have to take them there yourself. We won't send our people there blind."

The Salarian stayed put and displayed no obvious reaction, while the Turian proceeded to make known his disgust.

"What! We cannot allow this circus to continue! No one has ever navigated the Omega 4 Relay, and I doubt even the famous Commander Shepard could pull it off." He said in his usual sordid way.

Shepard looked over to the Turian Councilor with a look of pure disdain on his face.

"I've made a career out of achieving the impossible Councilor, a quality without which I wouldn't be standing before you. As for the Omega 4 Relay being _**impossible **_to navigate? I have dismissed that claim as well." he said pointing at the Turian bastard behind his pedestal.

Anderson looked over at Shepard, surprised, but with a smile on his face. Shepard could tell he was having a hard time swallowing it back. He saw a flash of his old Captain in that moment, and felt even better about the opportunity the Turian Councilor had just given him. A second later, the Salarian Councilor decided to finally speak up again.

"If what Shepard says is the truth, then we have a responsibility to be as prepared as possible for whatever may happen because of it."

Shepard could feel a victory coming with these words, but felt no relief yet as their possible implication could change everything.

"We can't wait. Have your team meet me on the Normandy as soon as possible."

With that the Asari Councilor interjected with a noticeably solemn look on her face.

"We're blindly placing lives in your hands Commander. This is not something we do lightly. However, we also never do anything without insurance. We know you were close with your former team member, Operations Chief Williams. If we were to trust that your intentions are genuine without collateral, then we wouldn't be the Council. That is why, with the permission of Councilor Anderson of course, Chief Williams will be heading the team we send."

Shepard felt a jolt of pain and fear rising from within his chest. They wanted to use Ashley as collateral! He knew Ashley still had feelings for him and that she felt bad about what happened on Horizon. He couldn't help thinking that the feelings she had, were wrapped up by the confusion of his impossible return. What he didn't know was what to expect. He was still in love with her, and couldn't imagine putting her in harms way. Before he could respond, Anderson promptly spoke up.

"I'll put in the call immediately."

Shepard glared at his former Captain feeling both pissed off and confused at his lack of thought in the _very big fucking decision _he'd just made, _**for **_him. _What the fuck is he doing! He has, at least some idea how I feel about her! Doesn't he realize how dangerous…_

His thoughts were cut off by the voice of the Asari Councilor.

"Following your departure from the Omega 4 Relay, you are to return our team and report back immediately. This meeting of the Council has been adjourned."

Shepard and Anderson walked away from the meeting and down the stairs together in silence. Once they reached a distance far away enough from the Council's Chambers, Shepard stepped in front of Anderson, severing the openness of the path before him. His look was unforgiving…

" You have no idea the amount of self control I'm displaying right now!" he said, through his teeth and under his breath. He took a step back and looked around, remembering where he was, and falling back beside Anderson. "I need to speak with you. Alone." He said, with the same enraged expression on his face as they continued on towards the elevator.

The look Anderson gave him was a million miles away from what Shepard had come to expect as of late. Instead of looking void of emotion, he looked genuinely upset. Concerned even.

"I understand Shepard and I know you want answers for my behavior back there."

Shepard let out a dark laugh as they continued. "What happened back there has nothing to do with your _**behavior**_ Anderson, though I wouldn't mind an explanation for that as well. What's provoking me to rip your head off is the fact that you just put the woman I **_love,_** in charge of the most dangerous mission she's ever faced without a second thought."

They'd just reached the fountain by the elevator and after hearing Shepard's confession, Anderson stopped dead in his tracks. He paused for a moment and considered what Shepard had just told him before speaking again.

"After you died, I put myself in charge of the assignments offered to Chief Williams. The Alliance refused to recognize her potential even after everything she accomplished working with you, and I thought she deserved better. You know how she operates. She gets the job done, everything by the book. She's one of the best soldiers I've worked with and her dedication to the Alliance speaks volumes.

He paused for another moment and rested his arms on the rail of the fountain, looking down at the trickling water as he gathered his next thought. Shepard didn't move, but stared, waiting for him to continue.

"At first I didn't think anything of it. She didn't seem happy exactly, but eager to do the work. I'd give her an assignment, and she'd do it, no questions. She was offered leave several times but refused to use it, and insisted on working instead. I thought she just liked to stay busy, focused, but the stress she was carrying was starting to show on the outside, and it had me concerned. She lost some weight and looked tired most of the time. I thought it was the heavy work load she was dealing with. It's not uncommon to see this in active soldiers. She went on like that for over a year before I finally forced her to take some time off. I didn't know until just now, how profoundly heartbroken she was." he said raising his gaze to Shepard who's eyes were blood shot and who's anger was visibly replaced with the pain he had been trying so desperately to hide.

He didn't dare try to physically console the broken N7 next to him, as a potent wave of remorse engulfed his own body. He hated himself for hurting the man before him. A man he so often thought of, as his own son.

"I'm so sorry Shepard. I had no idea of the impact this would have on the both of you, and I can't imagine the amount of mental anguish and confusion you've already suffered since your return." he said, unable to meet Shepards gaze a second time. "I thought you would want Williams on your crew. I thought it was an opportunity to give you _**something, **_when I've been unable to help you in any way since you've been back."

Shepard could hear the truth in Anderson's words, but it wasn't going to change how he felt, or how he'd reacted. He'd shown Anderson more of his heart than he would ever have done willingly, and he could never take it back. He continued to stare at the man in front of him, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't think straight. He'd been forced to take a ride in his own car without the courtesy of being able to drive. With anguish at the wheel and anger in the back seat at the moment, he didn't feel capable of the violence he'd been contemplating just moments ago. It wasn't always in him to be fair. This was one of those moments. With some effort, he took a step toward Anderson and leaned against the railing beside him. Looking down at his superior, he lifted his hand, put it on Anderson's shoulder and drew himself in to whispering distance.

"If she dies," he said fixing his eyes on his opponent. "I'm blaming you."

Anderson didn't react, but stayed put, eyes focused on his former ally, who was now entering the elevator for the Presidium below. He'd never seen Shepard more upset about anything in his life. Had it been anyone else, they'd have been fired on the spot. But Milla had been through more than even the oldest most decorated soldiers he'd ever known, combined.

He expected it would take time, but he hoped Shepard would be able to see the wisdom of his decision someday. He knew the other Councilors would eventually have rested on another candidate, but had he the opportunity to do it all over again, he would've made the same choice. As he pushed himself away from the fountain and set forth for his office, he decided it was a good idea he'd kept that last part to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Anticipation (Bioware owns all)**

-The scene opens with Commander Shepard in the elevator, headed back to the Normandy from the Citadel Tower. -

The elevator door opened with a _whoosh _as Shepard slowly made his way to the entrance of the Normandy. The confrontation with Anderson opened fresh wounds that he needed to keep under the surface. This was going to take some effort but he couldn't allow his team to see his vulnerability. Not when they were depending on him to keep it together. As he entered the decontamination chamber, he slipped on his _everything's under control _mask, and took a deep breath. The frequency of this act, and the necessity behind it, had become unsettling.

Once aboard, he turned the corner and continued on toward his quarters. His body demanded rest, as his mind begged for silence, and as he looked up and saw Miranda walking in his direction, he knew he'd have to wait a little bit longer.

The Lazarus project director was now loyal to Shepard and Shepard alone, having resigned from Cerberus not three days earlier. She was an asset to him and the Normandy crew, and as beautiful as she was deadly. She'd been spending a lot of her time since the fight on the Collector Base disarming the Normandy of it's many spycams set up by The Illusive Man. A job that was proving to be both tedious and illuminating. So far she'd found eight on the bridge and fourteen encircling the mess. She found eleven more gracing his own quarters including three in his bathroom and six in her own, and the job was far from complete.

Miranda wasn't the same woman he met a few months ago. She truly believed in Shepard and no longer percieved him as an investment, especially since he'd helped with Oriana. As she drew closer with a smile Shepard recognized as friendly and careful, it became only too obvious that she knew what just happened.

"Shepard. I heard about your meeting with the Council. If we're headed back to the Omega 4 Relay, I suggest we get there soon. I know The Illusive Man well Shepard. He won't let the Collector Base sit there for long, now that he knows how to send a team through."

_Like me... Business first._

He did his best to muster up his _Commander's voice, _hoping she wouldn't recognize the lie in it and hear his pain.

"As soon as the Council's team arrives, we're heading straight there. I'll need somewhere to address the team... in private."

If she heard it, she hid it well.

"I've managed to debug this deck entirely Shepard. When you're ready, the briefing room is now safe for open communication."

It wasn't usually this easy to hide things from his XO. He was happy to play along.

"The Council's team should be here in a few hours. Assemble them to the briefing room when they arrive." He began to walk away, just as he felt a hand gently grab his arm. _Here it comes._

He wasn't romanticaly interested in Miranda or anyone on the Normandy for that matter. His heart belonged to Ashley, and he was fairly certain Miranda knew this. As he turned around, he prepared to hear what had been written all over her face a few moments ago.

"Are you ok Shepard? I know the Council assigned Chief Williams to head their team. You haven't spoken since Horizon and I remember how well that went."

He had to maintain his composure, and he had a reputation of sorts to uphold. He wouldn't cross that line.

"I'll be fine Miranda. We have a mission to do, and i'm going to make sure it gets done." he said, stone faced.

Not interested in the direction the conversation was headed, he began to walk away. He made it about four feet before Miranda positioned herself between him and the rest of the gangway. The friendly and approachable look was now replaced with one of concern.

"This isn't exactly my area of expertise Shepard, but it was obvious that you and Chief Williams were more than friends when I saw you together on Horizon. Correct me if i'm mistaken, but... you care for her don't you?"

She knew. As well as he thought he'd hidden it, apparently he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, _**again**_. He could feel the uncertainty of the days to follow as his blood pressure started to rise. He took a slow, deep breath as Miranda waited for his answer.

"I've taken us this far. I need you to know that i'll hold it together as long as is necessary no matter what the circumstances." he said coldly.

"But what if..."

"I don't have a choice!" he growled. "We need the Council if we ever want to have even a chance of fighting off the Reapers. This was **_their _**decision, not mine!"Giving her no chance to respond, he continued to make his way to his quarters. If he had any doubt of what Miranda did and didn't know about his feelings for Ash before, he knew she had them pegged now. He was falling apart, and he didn't know how to stop it. Having had no sleep since their return from the Omega 4 Relay, was only adding to his darkening mood. With more than the impending mission in mind he got into the elevator and relaxed his stance as the doors closed in front of him.

"EDI. Wake me up when the Council's team arrives. And tell Joker to have them go straight to the briefing room."

"Yes Shepard."

"And EDI... I'm not ready to explain to the Council as to why I have an AI on board. It would be best if you...don't make yourself known when they're here. I'll keep them away from the bridge so you can still communicate with Joker, but other than that, I need you to pretend you don't exist."

"Understood Shepard."

He walked through the door to his quarters and began taking off his armor. After quickly taking a much needed shower, he walked over to his desk, and the picture he'd already spent so much time looking at before came to life. As he stared at her face, the memories came rushing back. The night before Ilos at the very forefront of his mind.

It had been perfect... It was the only night he could remember since he first joined the Alliance, that the rest of the universe didn't matter.. It was that night, that ruined him for any other woman in existence. And now, after so long, she was coming back... But not for him. He knew she would do what the Council asked of her, despite how she felt about them. Her loyalty to her duties as a Marine ran deeper than that of any other he'd ever known.

It felt like a lifetime since he last saw her. He could remember her exactly just by thinking about her, but looking at her picture made her real. It was the only physical reminder he had that she ever existed in the first place. He carefully placed her back on the desk, and began to wonder how the hell he was going to survive the next week.

He slowly walked to his bed and layed down. As he closed his eyes and wished for sleep, he frowned at the thought that in death he lost her, but in life, in his ressurrection, he was being forced to lose her all over again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Incoming Call (Bioware owns all)**

-The scene opens in the bedroom of a dark apartment. Blinds drawn, small caches of light seeping in through the sides of the windows, making it impossible to achieve total darkness. There's a small bed against the center of the wall facing a narrow hallway, and a figure moving restlessly under the blankets.-

She couldn't sleep. It had only been two days since she'd returned from her mission for a month of much needed shore leave and she had too much on her mind for rest to be possible. The antique clock that lay bedside told her it was long past time to get up and face another day. With some hesitation, she pulled the covers off of her body and sat up. As she glanced around the messy room, clothes and armor strewn about in no particular order, her eyes rested on a picture on her night stand. She stood up and sleepily walked to the photo. A wave of guilt washed over her every time she looked at it. _You don't deserve him, _she thought, as the memory of their last meeting came crashing to the forefront of her mind. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned towards the hallway.

Ashley Williams was a practical woman. She rarely bought anything without having a need for it first, and could often be found priding herself on this very fact. While most of her Alliance comrades talked about the newest and most popular gadgets they'd just picked up from the net, she was perfectly content with her mediocre versions of the current pop culture. There were only a few exceptions to this that she found necessary to seek out, the most important of which was her taste for good coffee. While she brewed a pot of her favorite roast, the smell filling her small apartment, she slipped on a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. Simple. Comfortable.

The idea of cleaning her room quickly shot across her mind but was gone as soon as it arrived. The trend of the last few years of her life were insight enough for her to know that a month of shore leave never actually lasted a month. Not for her, and she found it harder and harder to hold on to a sense of normalcy with the state of her current mental climate. She hoped she'd get a call from the Alliance, and soon. _If they just keep throwing assignments at me, I won't have any time to think about it._

After pouring herself a large cup of coffee, she walked into the living room and sat on her couch. She could hear the hustle and bustle of the civilians, three stories below, walking around the Presidium. As an active soldier, being away from home meant being on Alliance time. Missions were assigned to be taken care of, and nothing ran on a perfect 24 hour a day schedule unless you were on Earth. Being home was much the same. Every planet, each with it's own unique system had a different day and night duration. The Citadel had a 23 hour day approximately. It was something she was used to dealing with and a required part of her training with the Alliance. It was up to the soldier to decide when to rest, and when to rise, and was much easier to do on leave when she didn't have to worry about fulfilling her duties.

Her mental exhaustion was far more severe than the physical_. All the training in the world wouldn't help me sleep after how I treated him. He looked so desperate for a friend, and I couldn't even be that. ... God damn it!, pull yourself together Williams_! It was these thoughts that made everything harder. She couldn't stop herself from thinking them once she started, and it was wearing on her dramatically. In addition to the guilt she felt, she never received word from Shepard after she sent him her letter. Now she didn't even know if he was still alive, and Anderson had been no help at all when she asked him. As a result, her usually well kempt appearance was lacking in it's normal luster, and no amount of make-up could now cover the circles under her eyes.

She took a sip of the warm coffee in her hand, and noticed a light flashing on the comm screen on the opposite side of the room. She set down her glass, and quickly walked over to the device on her work desk. Taking a seat, she noticed it was a call from Councilor Anderson. She stared at the screen for a few moments, unblinking. _He must've decrypted the files I sent him._ She adjusted the camera above the monitor and hit the answer key to the left of the screen.

Anderson looked disheveled. His new position as Councilor must've been taking it's toll.

"Williams, I have a new assignment for you." he said in his calm professional tone.

"Sir. Did you decrypt those files already?" she asked, confused.

"I'm afraid not Chief. This one comes directly from the Council."

"The Council?" She paused and stared off as if looking for some logical explanation. This was the furthest thing in the realm of possible reasons for a call from Anderson in her mind.

"This mission is more important than you can imagine Williams. I'm aware that you don't answer to us directly, but i'm afraid this time I can't offer you the option of turning me down. It is the belief of myself and the rest of the Council that it require your involvement specifically."

She thought about what this meant, and came up short before answering.

"What are the details?" she said, each word exiting her mouth slower than the last as the level of her confusion began to rise.

"I can't tell you on this line Chief. I need you to suit up and meet me in my office A.S.A.P."

"Understood. I'll be there in twenty."

She turned off the comm and jumped up from her chair. She took a few final gulps of her coffee, and placed the glass on the kitchen counter as she made her way back to the bedroom. She'd gotten so used to throwing on her armor on the fly that it was only four minutes later before she was locking her front door behind her. She knew she'd be on assignment before the end of the month, but in all her years as a soldier she'd never been called in on a mission from the Council directly. She wasn't a big fan of them and couldn't imagine what they could possibly want with her. Even after helping Shepard in the fight against Saren, she was still getting stuck with shitty jobs from the Alliance. No amount of heroism seemed to make them forget what her Grandfather did all those years ago. It was only after Anderson stepped in and assigned her to a few classified gigs that she got the chance to really shine, and now he was asking her to work for the Council. _This should be interesting..._ she thought sarcastically. _At least whatever it is, it will keep me busy, _she thought as she made her way to Anderson's office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Anticipation Part Two (Bioware owns all)**

opens with Ashley Williams arriving at Councilor Anderson's office.-

As she approached the desk outside Anderson's office, the familiar Asari behind it looked up from her screen and gave a nod of recognition.

"Chief Williams, good morning." she said with a cheerful, practiced smile. "He's expecting you."

"Thanks Kierna." she said politely, walking past the desk to the door beyond.

As she entered the office, she saw Anderson seated at a large conference table in the center of the room. He stood as she entered and gestured for her to join him. "Thank you for coming Chief. Please, take a seat."

She approached the table, which was usually covered in data pads and other general chaos inducing clutter every other time she'd been here. The informality of the way Anderson was sitting there with nothing in front of him, no dossiers, no mission statements, just… nothing, made her feel like she was meeting him for lunch, not a debriefing. It wasn't unusual for him to take a more casual approach with her, even when it came to the off the record work she'd been doing for him. But as she sat down and studied him closer, she saw the worry on his face, and began to feel uneasy.

They sat there in silence for a few moments. She could see Anderson was having a hard time gathering his thoughts as he stared at the table, his brow creasing. He took a deep breath and raised his gaze to hers before he spoke, looking to be In an even greater state of disarray then he had when he'd called.

"How much do you know about the Omega 4 Relay Chief?" he said using low, steady vocals.

A questioning look now etched on her face, she answered, "As much as the next soldier sir."

He nodded as if to suggest this was the correct answer, and then asked, "do you remember the question you asked me when we last spoke?"

If he had been sitting any closer to her, he'd have been able to hear her heart, now thrashing in an attempt to escape her chest. _Please don't tell me he's dead! Please don't tell me he's gone again! _She held back the tears that were trying to break through and swallowed hard, before answering. "I asked you if you knew if Commander Shepard was still alive," her voice shaking traitorously.

He nodded again, this time looking down at the floor. "I owe you an apology Chief." he said looking back up. "I had good reason to keep any information I knew about Shepard from everyone, including you."

She couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care if she lost her job, she had to vent or she was going to lose it. With both hands on the table, she pushed herself up with enough force to send her chair crashing to the floor. With her upper body leaning halfway across the table, and her forefinger pointed at the man at her opposite, she proceeded to give him his second reaming of the day. "You couldn't even tell me if he was dead or alive? What harm could that possibly have brought to anyone?" her voice was surprisingly steady, but the tears were now freely flowing.

The worried look remained on his face as he sat there and took it. He wasn't thinking about demoting her, or firing her, or any of the things that any other person in his position would have been planning to do. He just felt sorry for her. It wasn't pity, not exactly. It was more a sense of compassion he had developed under the unique circumstances with which the soldier before him had fallen into, face first. So without even raising his voice, he prepared to provide her with the answers, he knew she needed. "He's alive. I spoke with him in person just this morning."

An instant spell of relief washed over her at these words. _He's alive… _Her tears of heartache were quickly replaced with tears of joy as she put her face in her hands and slowly shook her head from side to side. She looked up at Anderson feeling a little crazy from her sudden change of emotions, and didn't bother to dry her face. "Why are you telling me this now?"

Anderson stood up, realizing he wasn't going to be able to get her to sit back down, but stayed on his side of the table. "Shepard has disbanded himself and his crew from Cerberus. He came this morning to inform the Council of this decision and to offer new evidence of the existence of the Reapers."

Ashley listened closely, barely breathing so as to not to miss a word.

"He recently led his team through the Omega 4 Relay and claims to have found and disarmed the Collectors' base they found there. He relayed to us that the Collectors had been in the process of building a Reaper on board, and that they were using our organic material to construct it, which explains the abductions. You were on Ilos with Shepard and spoke to Vigil. You fought with him against Sovereign. You're the most qualified Marine for the job other than Shepard, but I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that that's why the rest of the Council chose you for this mission. They still don't trust him enough to reinstate him into the Alliance, but they couldn't turn their backs on the potential threat of the Reapers, so they made a compromise. Shepard requested we send a team to the coordinates beyond the relay, in order to examine and take samples of the Reaper corpse. They agreed to this under the terms that you be the one to lead our team, and Shepard, being the only person to successfully go through and return from the relay, be the one to take you. They see you as someone Shepard wouldn't betray but are also aware of your opinions towards Cerberus. In short, they trust you to be able to work _**with **_Shepard, and to also discriminate against any undesirable directions he may be thinking of going in.

She stared at Anderson for a few seconds, allowing herself to digest this new information.

"Did…. Did Shepard agree to this?" she asked, confused.

"Actually, no he didn't. When the Council gave the terms, _**I**_ accepted them. The judgment was passed before Shepard ever had a chance to counter. He did however make it very clear to me afterwards, how _upset_ he was with my interruption. He….. Cares for you a great deal Williams. I've never seen him more upset." He paused for a moment, and carefully picked out the next words before saying them. "Before today… I had no idea what you meant to each other. What you still mean to each other. I know things between the two of you are.. Confusing right now, but I hope you can work it out. The success of this mission depends on it."

Ashley had almost completely gathered herself once Anderson was finished. She could feel a sense of strength building inside her that she hadn't felt in a long time. She understood the importance of the mission and didn't want to waste any more time.

"When do I start?" she asked in a clear, confident tone Anderson wasn't expecting.

"The Normandy is already docked and her crew is preparing for your arrival. Your team is being assembled and will meet you there in approximately two hours. I suggest you take this time to better acquaint yourself with the man Shepard and his team have been taking orders from until recently." He handed her the dossier of The Illusive Man. "It contains information we've known for years, and several pieces of new information provided to us by Shepard. It will give you a better idea of what he's had to deal with over the last few months, and hopefully some useful insight should you ever need it."

She took the dossier from Anderson and gave it a quick once over before stashing it under her arm. "I'll start on this right away." She turned and began walking towards the door. She stopped just before it opened, and turned back to face Anderson. "Sir?"

He proceeded to sit back down as he looked over to her. "Yes Williams?"

"Aren't you going to say anything about mine and Shepards fraternization?"

He smiled. "No. I would have had something to say about it if I'd known two years ago, but the circumstances surrounding you and Shepard have changed dramatically since then. Honestly Williams, I can't even relate to your situation. It goes beyond anything I've ever faced. If you two work things out, I imagine you can be discreet?"

She returned his smile with a warm and thankful one of her own. "Yes. I imagine we can." She turned and walked out the door.

The dossier would have to wait. She had two hours before her team would arrive, and she didn't want to waste another second of it. As she turned the corner and swiftly walked through the Presidium, she became acutely aware of the pull that was leading her every step. It was an excruciating mixture of need and desire, Shepard now dominating all other thought. And she was about to pay him a much needed visit…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Expectations**

- The scene opens with Ashley Williams exiting the elevator to the docking bay - 

Stepping off the elevator and onto the platform she spotted a ghost she knew only too well. The new Normandy was docked in the same location she remembered it in two years ago. The fact that it even existed and the sheer size of it were immediate implications to how much time and money Cerberus had invested in Shepard. It was… impressive, and spoke volumes to what the enemy was capable of, even before one considered the miracle they'd performed by bringing Shepard back to life.

As she approached the entrance with single minded determination at the wheel, she waited to be cleared for entry.

* * *

"Jeff, my sensors are picking up an unknown presence at the entrance. Organic, female, human."

Joker swiveled in his chair to face EDI as she displayed a holographic image of the woman outside.

"It's Ash! She's early. Some things never change." he said shaking his head. "Go ahead and let er in EDI."

"As you wish." she said as she released the lock-down, and opened the door. "Going silent."

* * *

As Ashley entered the familiar ship, the similarities between the old Normandy and it's predecessor were overwhelming. She immediately noticed the layout as she slowly looked back and forth, scanning the room. Her eyes soon fell on her former team member who was sitting at the helm, smiling up at her.

"Not bad huh?" he said with obvious pride for his new ship.

She crossed her arms and smiled back at him. "Let me guess.. The leather seats were the selling point for you right?" she said having noted the upgrade.

"Hey lighten up Williams." he said still smiling. "I couldn't let Shepard get carted around the universe by some Cerberus goon."

He hadn't meant for it to be a low blow, but it was, and she winced at the empty accusation he didn't know he'd made.

"So, you're a little early. Shepard won't be down till the rest of your team arrives."

Her heart fluttered as she realized how close she was to him. "Down from?" She asked curiously.

"He's in his quarters. He looked pretty tired when he went up. First time he's slept since we got back. I _**could **_wake him up, if you're interested in seeing how easily my bones break." he said jokingly.

"No, don't wake him. I'm just gonna, take a tour if that's ok."

"Suit yourself. For the most part you'll know your way around already. I'd… stay away from the lower deck though. Tali's down there, and I'm sure she'd be happy to see you and all, but there are a few new crew members who Shepard should introduce you to himself. Namely Jack the crazy tattoo covered biotic and Grunt, the baby Krogan on the lower deck."

"Shepard recruited a baby Krogan?" she asked, disturbed and surprised.

"Well… He's not exactly a baby. He's fully grown, but tank bred, and likes to pick a fight. It's complicated" he added, noting her confused expression. "I'll let Shepard explain the details."

"I'll keep that in mind." she said, wondering what other surprises lay in store. "It's good to see you again Joker," she added as she turned to head in the opposite direction.

"Awe, you haven't gone all soft on me have you Chief?" he said, resuming with his usual lack of seriousness.

She turned her head back as she continued down the gangway. "Fuck off Joker." she replied casually.

He laughed as he turned around to face his console. "It's good to have you back Chief." he shouted.

* * *

As she made her way past the CIC, and entered the elevator, with absolutely no intention of taking a tour, her pulse began to rise. _Wow… an entire deck, dedicated to his quarters, _she noted as she pushed the CQ button on the wall console. As the elevator rose, so did her anxiety, while her expectations, began to plummet. On her way here, she felt sure of what to expect. Now, as the elevator slowly came to a halt, all she could feel was unsure. _This was a bad idea…. But there's no turning back now. _

She took a deep breath, and walked through the unlocked door to the room beyond.

He must have been exhausted. She was sure the noise of the door would wake him up, an act she normally wouldn't have attempted. But at this moment, her need to see him, surpassed every rational thought she was pretending not to have.

She stood by the doorway for a minute. Taking in the room. A large empty fish tank was covering a considerable portion of the wall to her left, illuminating the room with a calming blue glow. A desk with Shepards personal computer and a glass display case, which held an array of the most famous frigates and space stations lay against the wall directly to her right. She noticed a frame on the desk and quietly walked over to it. The picture within it lit up as she approached, and her eyes filled with tears as she set down her helmet and the Illusive Man's dossier and picked it up. She recognized it as the most recent photo the Alliance had taken of her to attach to her military profile. _He must've gotten it from the net somehow_. The thought made her feel worse, as she slowly set it back down.

She turned around and walked down the small staircase and over to his bed. She could remember the last time he looked this peaceful. The weeks that followed their defeat of Saren and Sovereign gave them a short amount of time to enjoy each others company. She remembered the late nights they spent together, and the early mornings she'd slip away from his quarters and back to her own before anyone could notice she'd been gone. It made her feel like a teenager, and the memory of it made her smile.

He was sleeping on the right side of the bed which left a considerable amount of space to his left. She remembered how he used to sleep in the center, even when she stayed the night and recalled his excuse for it when she'd given him a hard time about it two years ago.

_I'm not exactly used to sharing, _he'd said in a whisper as he pulled her closer.

The empty space told her he'd been waiting for her. And she knew in that moment, that he would wait forever…

She didn't think about what kind of reaction he'd have to her unexpected intrusion, as she sat down next to him and caressed his face with her hand.

The second her body touched down she was picked up and thrown onto her back on the opposite side of the bed, Shepard on top of her holding each one of her arms firmly above her head, and both of them breathing heavily from an instantaneous rush of adrenaline.

The second he looked down at her, he let her go. "Ashley! I'm so sorry!" he said as he pulled her to her knees and embraced her tightly.

She reacted without thinking.

She pulled his face to hers and planted a deep, wet kiss on his lips as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer still. The pulse in his neck beat firmly against the inside of her palm. The shape of his mouth was moving effortlessly with hers, as he dropped down and pulled her onto his lap. This couldn't be happening.. The man she loved died two years ago. She'd mourned him… She'd attended his funeral. She'd already said goodbye.

Her heart raced rapidly as he skillfully let down her long, dark hair and swept his right hand underneath it, lifting it up and sending chills throughout her body. She wasn't going to be able to stop, and the confusion she knew all too well, was beginning to sink in….

* * *

He welcomed her lips to his, and answered her enthusiasm with his own. Her right hand firmly caressed his face while her left was at his back, pulling him closer. As he dropped down and pulled her onto his lap, she wrapped her long legs around his body, and held his face in both of her hands. He could feel himself drowning. His body wanted more of her despite how confused he felt. It didn't matter…. He wasn't going to be able to stop. As he grabbed another handful of her dark, wavy hair and breathed her in deeply, he began to feel his face getting wet, and could tell, she was crying.

It was the hardest thing he's ever had to do. But he didn't want to be the cause of her hurt ever again. With more effort than he knew he was capable of… He pulled his face away from hers.

He held her there in his arms while he attempted to catch his breath. She was looking at him.. Silently crying and breathing heavily as she began tracing the outline of his jaw with her hand.

He knew she could see that his own eyes were bloodshot, and didn't attempt to hide it. He wanted her to see how much he loved her, and wasn't about to hide the gift of happiness, he'd been given in this moment. Lifting his hand to her face and slowly wiping the tears from one side with his thumb, he began to speak.

"How in the hell did you manage to sneak up on a sleeping N7?" he said slowly, grinning at her and still dizzy from the encounter.

She laughed and put her hand on top of the one gently holding her face. "A Williams has to be better than the best skipper, remember?" she asked, unwrapping her legs from around his body.

"Talk?" he asked looking up at her as she began to get up.

"I think we'd better." she added, as she proceeded to tie her hair back up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Death Closes All (Bioware owns all)**

- The scene opens in the Captains Quarters of the Normandy. -

As Ashley finished tying up her hair to Alliance grooming standards, Shepard got up and opened his bedside dresser. As he was no longer the poster boy for Cerberus, he wasn't going to wear anything with their logo stamped on it. He put on a pair of flat black pants, tucking the cuffs into his boots, and wore a navy blue t-shirt which he tucked in above his belt.

Ashley walked over to the leather couch and sat down, crossing her legs and watching him closely. As he assembled his uniform, she recognized the rhythm of his movements as practiced and perfected. She knew from experience that he could put his clothes on as quickly as he could take her clothes off. A necessary skill to have when forced to sneak around your own ship. The thought made her blush, as he finished clothing himself and sat down beside her, leaning into the couch and facing her directly.

They stared at each other for a minute….. Both in a semi-state of shock at the events that led each of them to this moment. Ashley kept both of her hands in her lap, one holding onto the other so as not to fidget, which she so often did when she was nervous. Shepard recognized her attempt of concealment, and put his right hand on top of both of hers, applying a small amount of pressure as he did so. "Don't hide." he said, his eyes piercing her own.

She answered his statement by taking his hand into hers and holding it there in her lap. "I missed you." she said looking down at their entwined hands. "I thought I'd moved on, but when I saw you on Horizon I realized how much you were still a part of me." She looked up from her lap and into his eyes. "I'd heard rumors that you weren't really dead, and that you were working for Cerberus. When I saw you that day, it seemed possible that the rumors were true. I still don't understand how you're even alive…." she said with a sad and confused look.

He looked down and thought about how to approach this subject. He didn't want to hurt her with the _little details_, but he knew she needed the truth, as painful as it may be. "Do you remember the woman in white you saw me with on Horizon?" he asked carefully.

Her eyes squinted slightly. "Ya, I remember her." she said with an ere of jealousy and amazement at the memory of the half naked women he'd been traveling with. "She's the one who was actually covering her tits." she said with brutal honesty in reference to Jack.

Shepard smiled at her reaction and was thankful she hadn't changed. He knew that whenever she busted out with this kind of commentary, it was in reaction to the intense feelings she had for the subject. He found it to be both endearing, and adorable. "Glad to see you've still got that mouth on you Williams."

"I just call em how I see em skipper." she said, unembarrassed by her prior ranting.

Shepard cleared his throat and forced back his impending laughter before responding. "Her names Miranda Lawson. She was the director of Project Lazarus, so named for the purpose it was meant to serve."

"Bringing you back." she whispered, thinking out loud.

"Exactly…. Miranda was put in charge by The Illusive Man and the success of the project was based solely on bringing me back exactly as I was." He took her face in his hand. "I died thinking of you Ash…" he paused for a moment as her eyes became bloodshot at this new information. "When I woke up in the Cerberus lab, I woke up thinking of you." he said, returning his hand to hers in her lap.

She didn't say anything, but tightened her grip on his hand.

"I didn't even understand it at first. It wasn't until I read the Projects files that I could fully grasp how any of it was possible. I was alive, but I wasn't free. I didn't fully get why the Alliance and the Council would turn their back on me without letting me explain what happened. Not until I saw you on Horizon. When you told me you'd heard rumors that I was alive and working for Cerberus, It became clear to me that the Illusive Man had succeeded with both of his plans. I've only known him for a few months, but in that time I realized quickly that he never does anything without a reason, and it's always got something to do with his own personal gain. He obviously spread the rumors about me on purpose so that when I did show up again, alive and with Cerberus Operatives at my side, my allies would see me as a traitor who'd faked his own death and joined up with the enemy. What's worse." he added rubbing his forehead with his free hand in frustration. "I couldn't just quit and walk away from them. I needed their resources in order to continue my mission, and that meant openly working with Cerberus, which unfortunately only added to the appearance of my being a traitor. I tried over and over again to convince the Alliance and the Council that the Reapers posed a very real threat, and time and time again they refused to listen….. I had to wait for the right moment before leaving Cerberus but there were a few things that needed to fall into place. I needed to know that my crew was loyal. It took a while, but they've come around, and all of them understand the importance of the mission. Miranda was the Illusive Man's most loyal Operative, and knows more about him than anyone. She's an asset to the team I wasn't expecting. They're….different, but I've come to trust each one of them with my life, and the Illusive Man lost more than he realizes when I took his ship and everyone in it. Once I was confident that the team was loyal, I needed to find some way to prove that the Reapers are real. When we took out the Collectors and the Reaper they were constructing, I got a call from the Illusive Man. He told me to keep the base. That we could use it to achieve human dominance. _**I**_ wanted to blow it up, but I needed the proof inside to remain intact. I cut off the call, and we barely escaped back to the Normandy as we were being pursued by more Collectors and an army of seeker swarms. Joker got us outta there just in time to avoid the shock wave from the purge." he gently squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. "I understand why you acted the way you did on Horizon Ash. Beyond what you'd been forced to believe about my being back, I knew you were even more confused than I was as well."

She didn't answer right away, and her look was heartbreaking as she raised her gaze to his. "I'm still confused." she said sadly. "I was sure I'd never see you again, yet here you are, just as I remember you." she said tracing the outline of his jaw with her finger. "I can't lose you again Shepard." she added, fresh tears coming to a point under her chin. "I don't think I can survive that a second time."

He reached over and pulled her into his arms, embracing her tightly. He held her there for a few moments and turned his head into the nape of her neck. "I can't lose you again either." he whispered….. "So let's not die."

She laughed at his sudden revelation. "It's that easy huh?" she asked smiling, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Yes." he said with a playful look and serious tone. "It's also an order Chief."

"Aye aye skipper", she added and then kissed him passionately, with no intention of stopping this time.

"Uh, Shepard? Ash's team is here. Miranda's escorting them to the briefing room now." Joker said with an undertone of laughter.

Shepard sighed deeply as he was forced to pull himself away from the woman he loved for the second time that day. "Thanks for the heads up Joker." he said unable to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Just doing my job." Joker added.

Ashley got up and started to walk toward Shepards desk to gather her things. As she looked down at the table by the couch and picked up a book Shepard must have gotten somewhere along his travels. "Tennyson?" she asked smiling down at it. As she flipped through the pages, it automatically fell open to her father's favorite poem, "Ulysses", evidence that he'd viewed this page many times before.

She read straight from the page, reciting her favorite part. He knew this wasn't necessary. She'd memorized it in it's entirety by heart.

"Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods."

As she read the last line, Shepard walked up to her, gently took the book from her hands and placed it on the table. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his look, serious. "I've missed you Ash." he said looking over each part of her face as if to memorize it.

She held onto him with both hands and looked up into his eyes. "You're the last person I would expect, to have classical literature just laying around." she said playfully.

He smiled down at her, and remembered that he'd said the same thing the first time he heard her recite poetry. "Just because I can drill you between the eyes from a hundred meters, doesn't mean I can't like sensitive stuff." he added quoting her own rebuttal from two years ago. "Just…. Don't go spreading it around." he added.

In that moment she was sure he'd truly hung on to his memory and was sure that this was the man she loved. "Come on, we've got a job to do." she said, turning towards the exit.

He followed behind her as she picked up her things from his desk, leaving the dossier behind for later. "Yes ma'am." he replied, happy to follow her. Even with her Phoenix armor on, the view he was getting of her backside was extremely distracting.

They entered the elevator together, and Shepard pressed the D2 button on the wall console. As the elevator came to life, carrying it's passengers to the deck below, Ashley straightened her posture and took a measurable step away from Shepard. He could tell right away she'd already slipped back into their _sneaking around days, _and took a step in her direction. "No." he said gently as he stood next to her. "We don't have to hide anymore. Not on my ship. Not ever again."

She let out a deep sigh of relief and looked up at him. "Good. I don't have the slightest idea how I was gonna to be able to hide it from anyone anyway." she added, relaxing beside him once more…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - The Calm Before the Storm (Bioware owns all)**

-The scene opens with Ashley and Shepard, on their way to the briefing room-

As they stepped off the elevator, Shepard led the way, Ashley following close to his side. Upon entering the briefing room, fourteen individuals were already crowding the table in the center of the room. Twelve of them belonging to the Normandy crew and two new faces. Human. Both male, both Alliance and the only ones to salute their superior upon her arrival, Operative Taylor aside. It was a required form of respect that every soldier knew and practiced under regulation. But the new Normandy wasn't run this way. Shepard had had to make exceptions with his new crew, being that most of them weren't really military to begin with.

As Shepard gave the new recruit's a quick once over, he could tell right away that they were young and scared as they stood there looking totally out of place. He wanted to wring the Council's collective necks for wasting his time, by sending inexperienced _**soldiers**_ on a mission that required scientists. _They may as well have sent delivery boys _he thought grudgingly. Unfortunately, they were already on their way to the Omega 4 Relay, and no more time could be wasted. The young men, looking both surprised and fearful of the misfits surrounding them, would have to do…..

Ashley returned their gesture, with one of her own. "At ease." she added as her and Shepard took their places at the head of the table.

The look of surprise on Ash's face was more obviously reflecting the scene before them than Shepards. He attributed it to the fact that she'd made the same revelation he had about her team, coupled with the shock of seeing _**his**_ new crew for the first time. He realized if it'd been him, he'd probably be wearing a similar expression.

"This is Operations Chief Williams." he stated, scanning the room. "She served with me on the first Normandy as Gunnery Chief, and has been chosen by the Council to lead their team for this mission." he straightened beside her, squaring off his shoulders, his hands clasped behind his back. He cocked his head slightly in her direction and nodded, giving her the floor.

The eyes of the Normandy crew fell on the out of place Alliance team to Ashley's right as she began to address them.

"Names?." she asked in a professional tone, glancing at the soldier closest to her to start.

"Lyle Jenner, Alliance Marine."

"Michael Prendergast, Alliance Marine."

"Looks like the Council fucked you over again Shepard." Jack stated looking amused.

"Enough!" he shouted at Jack's verbal mirroring of his own thoughts. He knew his alpha Commander's voice had little bearing on what Jack would do next but was taken aback when she lifted her hands in surrender, leaned back against the wall and resumed her role as observer. "They're here to do a job, and we're going to be there to make sure it gets done." he finished, looking at each one of them to make sure his message was properly received.

Miranda stepped forward turning her gaze toward Shepard. "I hate to admit it Shepard but she's right."

Jack's eyes widened as she looked at the Normandy's XO in amazement. She looked back and forth from Shepard to Miranda several times before throwing her head back and laughing.

While the look on Ash's face went from surprised to downright incomprehensible, Miranda ignored the predictable reaction of her certifiable squad mate, and continued. "The Council should've sent scientists, not soldiers." she finished.

The two Marines to Ashley's right, looked even more out of place as they realized they were in way over their heads.

"Look. I share your concerns but the mission is simple. We're heading back through the Omega 4 Relay and escorting Williams' team to the Collector base. Once inside we'll be able to extract the samples needed to bring back to the Council…. Mordin?"

"Yes Shepard?"

"With Chief Williams permission I'd like you to assist her and her team and equip them with the necessary supplies to extract the samples we need." He said, now fully using his _Commander fucking Shepard _voice. He was trying to keep some sense of formality to the meeting, knowing that the serious lack of regulation was starting to overwhelm the woman beside him.

Mordin looked to Ashley for her approval, and once she nodded her acceptance of Shepard's proposal she addressed her team once more. "You heard the Commander." they looked at Shepard, in awe to be in his presence, then returned their attention to Ashley. "This mission is clean cut. We're to get in and get out as soon as we retrieve the date we need. Is that clear?" she asked, giving the two young men simple instruction to take off some of the pressure she was sure they were feeling.

They responded with an echoed, "yes Chief", as their right arms extended to their foreheads for a second salute.

"There's a very real possibility that the Illusive Man has already sent a team after the Base." Shepard added facing his squad. "We need to be prepared for whatever's on the other side of the Relay. In the event that we do run into company, we'll be heading out in two teams. Garrus. You'll take Zaeed, Thane, Kasumi, Tali, Jack and Grunt."

"Bring it on." growled Grunt as he pounded his fists together with his usual excitement for a possible fight.

"Samara, Mordin, Miranda and Legion. You're with me and Chief Williams. Samara, would you please show our guests to the crews quarters?" he asked politely."

"Of course Shepard." she responded, in her smooth and breathy voice. "This way please." she said, leading the Marines out the door.

ETA in approximately three standard days. I suggest you all get your rest. You're dismissed."

As the team proceeded to pile out of the briefing room Shepard and Ashley stayed behind waiting for them to be gone. Once the door closed and they were alone Ashley let out a deep sigh and turned to face Shepard.

"That was…. Interesting." she said, not bothering to hold onto the façade she'd managed to uphold during the briefing. "Things are definitely different on the new Normandy."

Looking at her, he was surprised to see her smiling. "Ya, it's never boring around here." he said jokingly.

"I gotta ask." she said with pure curiosity in her tone. "How the hell did you manage to recruit a Geth and keep it in one piece with Tali here?"

He laughed. He was expecting her to be overwhelmed, but she was managing to keep her composure. He found this to be a sure sign that her trust in him was unwavering and felt a wave of devastating affection for her, in her ability to overlook the feelings, he knew she was having in regards to the diversity of his crew. Feelings he knew she could not help which were a direct result of what happened to her Grandfather at Shanxi. He knew that some would view her as xenophobic, or even racist, but she was neither of these things. She was merely watching her back, which she'd been forced to do with the amount of bias that came from most of her superiors since branding her name with the word traitor. "If you're interested in a tour, I'll tell you all about it Chief." he said smiling down at her.

"I'd like to take you up on that skipper, but there's only one thing I'm interested in right now." she said taking his hands in hers and leading him out the door…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - The Calm Before the Storm Part 2 (Bioware owns all)**

The voice was barely audible but it was there. Alien in tone, and whispering it's wishes to it's host. "Kill them all," it was saying. "Kill… them… **ALL!**"

Shepard shot up in his bed, sweat running down his chest, his head pounding.

Ashley quickly sat up next to him, putting her hand on her own head, and breathing heavily from the interruption of her peaceful slumber. "Holy shit Shepard! Are you ok?" She touched his forehead. "You're burning up, you need to go see Dr. Chakwas right now." she said worriedly.

"No, no I'm ok. I… It was just a bad dream." he said, still trying to come back to consciousness.

"Must've been one hell of a bad dream," she said looking him over, still concerned. "Wanna talk about it?"

He rubbed his forehead, then his eyes and looked at Ashley. He knew she could tell he was shaken, and if this was what he thought it was, he had to come forward. But he wasn't going to worry anyone, especially Ash needlessly. Not until he knew for sure. "I can't remember what it was about." he lied.

"Well," she said leaning over his sweat covered body. "I'll start the coffee, and then join you in the shower. You stink." she said kissing him and smiling as she got up from the bed.

"Yes ma'am." he said smiling back at her. He got up and made his way to the shower. Once he was inside and the hot water was running over him, he could feel his body relaxing. He wanted to tell himself it was just a dream. But he couldn't take that chance with what was at stake. He needed to know for sure, and he knew just who to talk to. At some point… soon, he would have to go see Liara. A trip to Hagalaz was too far out of the way to make before the mission, so it would have to wait until afterwards. In the meantime, he would let her know to expect him soon.

Ashley wrapped her arms around him, locking their naked bodies in place as she entered the shower. He could feel her breasts against his back, the chills running up and down his body making his knees weak as she teased his neck with her teeth. He reached around as she held him there and placed his hands on both sides of her hips, applying a small amount of pressure to the sensitive area. "I love you." he whispered.

She loosened her grip at hearing these words for the first time. He turned around and faced her directly, utterly vulnerable in the admission, he felt sure she already knew. It was one thing to feel it, but quite another to say it, and thought he could her heart beating through her chest. "I needed you to hear it." he said as he stood there waiting for a response, his blood on fire as it raced through his veins.

She cupped his head in her hands and took in his face. She slowly followed her hands down his chest with her eyes, resting her gaze back upon his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He set his arms around her as she gently pulled his head down to her mouth and whispered "I love you too," followed by a deep slow kiss.

He bent his knees, running his hands down her back to her thighs and picked her up. She held on, one arm around his neck the other occupied against the wall as he rested her there. She kissed him hard and moaned in pleasure, reacting to his intensity. She knew it would never be enough. She would always want more of him. He was thinking the very same thing as he reciprocated her enthusiasm, with no plans to leave the shower any time soon…

* * *

1 hour later…..

As Shepard poured two cups of coffee, Ashley finished drying herself off and began to get dressed. He walked over to her setting her cup on the table next to the couch as he kissed her on the forehead. "I could get used to this." she said as she tightened the straps on her bra, and picked up her coffee.

"It's a pretty nice room huh?" he said jokingly as he sat on the edge of the bed and sipped his coffee.

She walked over to him coffee in hand and pulled him in for a kiss. "That's funny." she said her lips forming the faintest grin. "You're just full of jokes these days." she finished as she walked back to the pile of clothes she still needed to put on.

He laughed. "You hungry?"

"Starving." she replied. "What's a girl gotta do to get some food around here.

He stood up from the bed and placed his half empty coffee cup on the table. "Come on. Let's go see what's for breakfast."

She finished putting on her Alliance fatigues and followed him into the elevator.

* * *

The room was surprisingly empty at this late morning hour as they entered side by side. Kasumi, Jenner and Prendergast seemed to be enjoying small conversation seated at the long table at the far side of the room. Neither Marine stood when they saw Ash approach, but rather stayed put and gave her and Shepard a nod, acknowledging their presence. Kasumi remained hidden underneath her hood, but Shepard assumed behind the shadow covering her face she was wearing her usual mischievous smile.

Shepard tilted his head in Ashley's direction as they made their way to the buffet and whispered "didn't think I'd see those two settle in so fast."

She smiled and whispered back "Gotta give em some credit Commander. Took me a hell of a lot longer to get used to the way things work on the Normandy two years ago."

Shepard began slowly piling food on his plate, following behind Ash as she made her way to the end of the display. He was contemplating if he should ask her what he was thinking. In a hushed voice he asked, "Ash… things on the old Normandy were… different, but this is miles away from that. I know you trust Garrus and Tali, and you have good reason to, but your acting like…. Well…. Not you. I love that you're ok being here, but…" he paused and looked down. "How is it that you're ok being here?"

She stopped and looked down at her tray. The question wasn't unreasonable, and she had been waiting for him to ask it for two days. "A lot has changed Shepard. I can't help the feelings I have when it comes to what happened to my family, but I can be here, with you and feel good about it because of what it means for them, **and** us. I understand how important this mission is, and I know you wouldn't take on anyone but the best. My inner demons are just gonna have to learn to deal."

He wasn't sure how she came to understand what had been impossible to explain on Horizon. He did however, know how far he would go see her happy, even if it meant letting her go. In this, he knew that love could make a person do things they never imagined possible, and felt a powerful wave of admiration for her strength. "Come on Chief, let's eat." he said beaming at her.

She was proud of herself for doing so well in a situation where she'd normally feel the need to share her… concerns. It wasn't easy and didn't come naturally to any Williams. But as she picked up her tray and followed Shepard to the table, she felt good about her efforts so far.

As they sat down across from each other, Prendergast and Jenner stood and picked up their empty food trays.

"You two seem to be adjusting to the Normandy quite well." Shepard stated looking from one to the other, no readable expression on his face. It was Prendergast, the larger of the two who answered.

"She's a beautiful ship sir. We're proud to be here." he said in a small, shaky voice Shepard couldn't quite place.

"Glad to hear it Marines." he said casually, returning to his food.

Ash looked up at the young men and said in a cool, clear tone, "Report to the briefing room at 1100. We have some things to discuss."

"Aye aye Chief," answered the two Marines with a salute before quickly walking away from the table and out of sight.

Ashley looked over at Kasumi who was sitting with her legs crossed on the bench, hunched over a book.

Shepard noted her curiosity and decided a formal introduction couldn't hurt. "Chief Williams, this is Kasumi Goto, one of the newest additions to the Normandy crew.

Ashley knew she'd heard that name before and couldn't remember where or why it was familiar, but lifted her hand to Kasumi's and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you Chief Williams." she said with her usual tone of confidence. "I just had a wonderful conversation with your companions. They think very highly of you."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? What makes you say that?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

Shepard continued eating while he listened to their conversation. His level of amusement was increasing by the second.

"In the half hour I spent talking with them, they filled me in on your accomplishments with the Alliance. It seems you've got a lot to be proud of Chief." she added, getting up from the table. She began to walk away before turning to look back at Shepard and Ashley. "It would appear that you also have a lot to be thankful for," she quipped. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Ashley's stared after Kasumi till she was out of sight, then returned her attention to Shepard. "Did I say something to piss her off?"

"No… That was my fault." he lowered his gaze. "She recently lost someone she loved. I didn't think about how our being together would affect her."

Ashley thought about this for a moment. If it had been her sitting there having lost Shepard and Kasumi sitting next to her with her resurrected boyfriend looking happy and in love she wouldn't want it rubbed in her face either. "I think I should talk to her."

Shepard didn't answer right away. _If anyone knows what Kasumi's going through, it's Ash. _The thought made him frown. He knew it wouldn't matter what he said next. Ash would do what she wanted no matter what."She's set up in the port observation deck around the corner. I'd give her some time to cool off though."

Ashley finished the food on her tray, picked it up and put it on top of the table next to the buffet. She looked down at her watch. "I've gotta go talk to my Marines."

Shepard looked at his watch. She had twenty minutes before they were due to meet her in the briefing room. _Always early… _He picked up his empty tray and placed it on top of hers. "How about when you're done, meet me on the bridge. I believe I owe you a tour Ms. Williams." he said as they entered the elevator.

She kissed him seductively, taking advantage of the moment of privacy and pulled away as the doors opened, dropping them off at deck two. "I just need an hour." she said as she stepped off the elevator and walked forth toward the briefing room.

* * *

Shepard stayed on and proceeded to his quarters. Once inside, he pulled up a chair, sat in front of his computer and began typing away his message to Liara.

From: Milla Sheppard (C..N7************.***Pl)

To: Liara T'soni (Shadow108********.***.**)

Subject: Coming for a visit

I need to see you. I had a dream last night. At least I think it was a dream. It's implications were… disturbing and I need to know if there's more to it than what's on the surface. It's probably nothing to be concerned about but you've read the Project Lazarus files and have a better understanding of my condition than anyone else who can do what you do. As I'm sure you already know, me and my crew are on our way to the O.4.R, and can't get sidetracked at the moment. Assuming all goes well, I'll be heading your way as soon as we're done. I hope you're taking care of yourself…. See you soon.

He pressed "send" and pushed himself away from the desk. He hoped he was being overly paranoid and that Liara wouldn't be able to find anything pointing to his suspicions. If she did… he was going to need to have a very serious conversation with his XO….


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - The Calm Before the Storm Part 3 (Bioware owns all)**

As Shepard walked past the CIC towards the bridge he checked his watch. _11:45... She'll be done soon. _As he approached, he could hear EDI and Joker's usual banter echoing down the gangway.

"A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing."

"If I agreed with you Jeff, we'd both be wrong."

Joker swiveled around and faced the approaching footsteps.

"Nice outfit Commander. When do I get one?" he asked tugging at the Cerberus symbol on his shirt.

"When we get back to the Citadel I'm hoping the Alliance will take care of that. What are you two arguing about now?"

They both turned and looked at EDI. "The Council was founded to uphold a galactic balance. Without them, the unity of the many known races would not have been possible and a war of the worlds would have become imminent over time. Without this political structure, many species would be lost. Mr. Moreau, disagrees.

"Look, maybe at first they wanted to do the right thing, but from what I've seen, politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason."

Shepard laughed. "Think that highly of them huh Joker?"

"Come on Commander, I know you agree with me at least a little. How many times have they screwed you over personally?"

"More than once, and that was enough to piss me off. I still haven't figured out what they were thinking when they sent those kids for Ash's team, and too often I find myself in the position of questioning their judgment. They have a different way of doing things, and I don't like it, or envy them, but I get why they've been… careful."

"Really? I was pretty sure somewhere down the line you'd be introducing them to your Cain. At least the Turian anyway."

"I've thought about it." he said smiling. "Especially when it comes to the Turian. It would be nice if they'd just believe me for once, but they don't make decisions based on trust. If they did things would be different. I'm sure the Council will always find new and interesting ways to get on my bad side."

"Shepard, Chief Williams is approaching the bridge." EDI warned dropping out of sight.

"Thanks EDI." He looked over his shoulder and could see Ash walking his way.

"Well, you're the Commander, Commander." Joker said in his defeat. "I still think it would be fun to see the current Council get spaced."

Ashley approached the bridge, stopping next to Shepard and crossing her arms. "You two still arguing every chance ya get?" she asked looking amused.

Shepard crossed his arms, matching the woman at his side. "Joker's just a little disappointed in the fact that my opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right."

"Aw come on. Ash, you'd like to see the Council get spaced right?"

She looked at the Normandy's helmsman, her mouth forming a crooked smile. "Well, it would be pretty funny."

Jokers face lit up. "See Commander. Two against one."

Shepard smiled and relaxed his arms at his sides. "Alright alright… I admit that it would be a little funny. And I haven't completely dismissed the idea either."

"Yes!" Joker cheered. "As long as there's still hope, I'm good."

"You ready for that tour Williams?"

"Ready when you are Commander."

Joker looked back and forth from Shepard to Ashley. He looked like he'd just witness a Krogan giving birth. "Uh," he groaned. "Get a room."

Shepard and Ashley both looked at Joker as he swiveled back around to face his console. Ash lowered her head and smiled, looking a little embarrassed for being so obvious. Shepard smiled and took her hand as they walked down the gangway.

"So how did your meeting go."

"It doesn't make any sense. Their practically fresh out of basic. We can keep them out of trouble, but… I gotta wonder if the Council thinks this is a big joke."

"I've been wondering the same thing." he said noting her obvious anger for the subject. We'll get them home safe Ash."

"I know, it's just… Well what if we don't? What if something goes wrong? Their just kids Shepard, how could the Council do this?"

He stopped just before they entered the lab. "They don't do anything without a reason Ash, though so far I fail to see how their decision has benefited anyone. But I know there's a reason. Whether it's something we'll agree with or not remains to be seen, but I promise you we'll find out eventually. In the mean time I'm going to assume two things. One, that the Council thinks this is a big joke like you said, in which case we're going to do everything in our power to make sure those boys don't get killed. And two, that they've been chosen to carry out other orders we're not yet aware of. Their the perfect candidates for something like that. Who would suspect them?"

"You would obviously. You really think the Council would send them just to spy on you, knowing what's at stake?" she asked in amazement.

"I don't know. I've had to watch my back a lot these days. Anythings possible, and if they are here for reasons other than the mission, they won't get away with much." There are a lot of eyes on the Normandy."

"I don't know Shepard. They seem too scared of you to even attempt anything like that." she added, her smile returning.

He laughed. "Ya, I noticed that. Better to keep it that way if they're planning on doing anything stupid." he added as they continued on to the lab.

As they walked in, Mordin looked up and greeted them with a smile. "Ah, Shepard. Chief Williams. What can I do for you?"

"Just giving Williams the tour Mordin."

"Tour?… Yes. Acceptable. Best to know the ship. Twice the size of original Normandy. Lots to see. More to do. Preparing equipment for mission. Will be ready when you need me."

Ashley's eyes widened as Mordin finished.

"Thanks Mordin. We'll let you get back to work."

They stepped through the door bridging the lab with the armory.

"He has a tendency to think out loud. It's how he solves problems. Still drives me a little nuts sometimes."

She laughed. "He doesn't lack for enthusiasm Commander."

"I think you're gonna like this next part. I have some really cool new guns to show you." he said with the excitement of a small boy showing his best friend his new toys.

She smiled at this. He definitely knew the way to her heart.

"Shepard. Chief." Jacob was standing at his post, cleaning an array of the Normandy's many guns as they entered.

"This is Operative Taylor. He served under CO Izunami when he was with the Alliance, and was assigned to Eden Prime two years ago."

"I saw first hand what Sovereign did that day. It's nice to see someone else actually made it outta there alive."

"That was a rough day." she said shaking his hand. "I watched my entire unit get wiped out."

"Ya, it was rough. Just one more reason I know I'm doing the right thing being here. Shepard has the most experience I know of when it comes to killing Reapers."

She laughed. "He's pretty good at killing in general I think."

"You got that right." he added smiling and turning back to his work.

Shepard nodded at Ash, indicating for her to follow him. They walked to the end of the room and stood in front of a long table holding many different weapons. Ashley stared at the table. The look on her face was priceless..

"Is this a M-96 Mattock?" she asked picking up the semi automatic hybrid.

"Believe it or not, some good did come from working with Cerberus. The Illusive Man had these modified for thermal clips. Other than that, their the same guns that colonist militias have been using for years."

She tested the weight of the gun, and brought it up to aim. It felt good in her hands, and she was hoping to get the chance to use it. As she set the gun down Shepard picked up another.

"Remember back in 'A' school when you learned about the history of weaponry?" he asked excitedly.

"Ya, it was the only class that didn't make me feel like passing out from boredom."

"Do you remember learning about a 21st century weapon called the rail gun?"

She thought for a moment. "Ya, wasn't it discontinued though?"

"Yes, it was. This," he said lifting up the heavy weapon, "is the M-920 Cain. It's technically the modern equivalent of a rail gun, in a much smaller package."

She took the weapon from him giving it a quick once over. It occurred to her that this was a small form of torture.

"Ya know Commander. Now you're gonna have to take me shooting when this is all over." she said, seriously.

"I'm still technically the owner of quite a bit of land and a small piece of property on Intai'sei. When this is all over, it will make the perfect place to unload a few rounds. That is, if you still want to Chief." he finished.

"Oh, I'll still want to. Don't think you're getting out of it that easy." she said joking.

He laughed. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the ship…"

Just then the comm crackled on. "Shepard. Two hours ETA to the Omega 4 Relay.

He looked up before responding. "Thanks Joker. Inform the team to report to the Kodiak once we're through."

"Yes sir."

"Looks like the rest of the tour will have to wait." he said looking down at Ash.

"Come on." she said, tugging at his shirt. "Let's go get ready…"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - The Storm (Bioware owns all)**

Ashley had just finished pulling on the last of her armor. She attached her assault rifle to her back, picked up her helmet and walked toward the elevator. Before she made it halfway across the room, the door opened and Shepard walked in looking stressed.

"Hey, I was just coming to meet you." She could tell something was wrong. "Skipper, what's going on?"

He stopped in front of her placed his hands on his hips and looked down. "I don't want you to get distracted during the mission. If something happens and we have to fight, I need you to be able to stay focused."

She smiled. His worry was endearing. "This isn't exactly my first mission skipper. I mean, I know it's been a while since you've seen me in action, but you do remember me fighting Sovereign and Saren at your side right? And I've got two more years experience since then."

He wasn't surprised she'd misinterpreted his meaning. "I know what you're capable of Ash. I don't doubt your experience."

Still smiling, "you better not." she sassed.

"If something does happen, there's a chance we'll need help getting outta there."

The smile on Ash's face was slowly diminishing. "Shepard, I'm not really sure what you're talking about."

"I should've just told you on day one, but…" he paused.. "I got…..distracted and there hasn't really been a good time to…"

She cut him off. "You're kinda freaking me out skipper. Can you just tell me what's going on?"

He let out a deep, anxious sigh, knowing there was no way to dress it up. He had to tell her. Keeping it to himself could only compromise the safety of the mission. "The Illusive Man equipped this ship with an AI."

She didn't say anything but rather stood there, looking empty of emotion. Shepard couldn't tell what she was thinking. After a few moments, she looked up at him. Her expression wasn't angry… It was... worried. "Shepard… you know how dangerous they are. Why would you keep it?" she asked, her head hung low, feeling concerned for the man in front of her and the decision he'd made.

"It's proven to be very…. Useful, over the last few months. Me and the rest of the Normandy crew would be dead if it weren't for EDI."

"EDI? You named it?" she asked in amazement.

"No. It stands for enhanced defense intelligence. If I'd had the option when I found out about her, I would've taken her out myself."

"_**Her? **_Shepard! You of all people should know how dangerous it is to have an AI! The Geth is one thing, but this!"

"It's become habit to refer to it that way. It's voice is… feminine. You know I wouldn't keep it around without damn good reason Ash…. She's become…. part of the crew… I trust it. And I'm asking you to trust me…"

She didn't answer right away. It was easy enough to tell that she wasn't happy about this new information. "I don't like this Shepard." she paused, shaking her head from side to side. "I just hope this doesn't come back to bite us all in the ass." she finished, looking straight at him.

"I can't blame you for reacting this way. And you're right. I do know how dangerous they are. But this time, things are different. I can't dismiss how valuable she is, especially when what we're up against is essentially so much more advanced than anything we've got. She's kept us alive, and has even given us the upper hand in some situations. Without her, I wouldn't even be standing here talking to you."

After a few moments she looked up, into his eyes. "This is completely unfair, and I'm still not thrilled about it, but how can I argue? You're here. Against all odds, after everything you've been through, you're here….. **_I _**trust you. But what happens if we do need EDI? I mean, Jenner and Prendergast look up to you, but their young and have everything to prove. If they find out, they'll have no problem informing the Council about it which really won't help our cause."

He was happy that she'd jumped to this conclusion as fast as he had. He let out a deep sigh of relief before answering. "That's actually why EDI's been dormant throughout the ship since your team arrived. I ordered her to stay to the bridge so she can communicate with Joker but remain hidden from the eyes and ears of our guests. Besides, if it comes to that, I think I'll be able to persuade them to keep their mouths shut. Their afraid of me, remember?" he speculated, a small grin forming at the corner of his mouth.

She laughed. "**_Terrified_** of you, would be a more accurate description Commander." She said tugging him in for a kiss. "You'd better suit up. Wouldn't want to be late for your own party."

"Right," he agreed. "We wouldn't want that." he said with a sarcastic smile as he walked forward toward his armor.

* * *

As Shepard and Ashley stepped off the elevator and into the Normandys' hangar, they were greeted by the rest of the crew. They were fully armed and ready for whatever the days events could throw at them. As Shepard scanned the room, he realized Jack was no where in sight.

"Has anyone seen Jack?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

When no one answered he turned around, put his hand up to his helmet and activated his comm. "Joker."

"Sir?"

"I need you to get a 20 on Jack tell her to get her scrawny ass down here."

"Do I have to?" he replied using his whiniest_, are you really gonna make me tell the pissed off biotic what to do_ voice.

"Joker."

"Alright, alright, jeez."

He turned back around to face his crew. Any moment now Joker would begin the countdown to the Relay. "You all know why we're here." The small chatter stopped instantly as the crew gave him their full attention. "Once we extract the information we need, we'll have ten minutes to evacuate the base before it blows. As most of you remember, the interior took a lot of damage last time we were there, so me and my team are going straight to the reaper corpse in the Kodiak. If we run into company we'll need the rest of you to keep them busy while we get what we've come for."

Just then Jack came walking towards them looking smug.

"Nice of you to join us." he stated sarcastically.

"Oh darn. Did I miss the pep rally?" she quipped with her usual tone of indifference.

"Almost." he grinned

"Damn."

He waited for her to join the rest of the crew and continued. "Samara, Jack. In the event that any seeker swarms survived the purge you are to protect your teams using a barrier and get outta there. You two are to keep a centrally located position at all times. Keep your eyes open and stay alert.

"Approaching Omega 4 Relay. Everyone stand by."

The team looked to the observation window on the east side of the hangar. A red glow began to penetrate the room.

"Hitting the relay in 3.…2.….1.…"

It didn't feel like anything happened, and it wasn't supposed to. Shepard walked over to the observation window, joining his crew as they anxiously awaited for **_something_** to happen.

"Uh, Shepard are you seeing this?" asked Joker over the comm.

Miranda placed both hands on the window and looked from the back to the front of the ship. "Where's the debris?"

Shepard walked through the crowd, stood next to Miranda and instantly noticed that the many torn apart pieces of space crafts that were scattered about the area a few days ago, were all missing. "Where's the Collector ship?" he thought out loud.

Ashley stood a few feet away from the back of the crowd, watching on and realizing that something had gone wrong. She was about to speak when a burst of blue light surrounded her, and the cold metal barrel of a gun was thrust forcefully into her temple.

The sudden disturbance of biotic light caused Shepard, and the rest of the crew to turn around. Within seconds, every one of them had guns drawn and every gun was pointed at the two men. Prendergasts' left arm was firmly wrapped around Ashley, his right hand holding a gun to the right side of her head. It was instantly obvious that Prendergast's role was purely for theatrical purposes being that Jenner was holding Ashley in stasis. Shepard's heart was pounding beneath his chest. The terror he felt for the woman he loved pulsed through his veins as he took in the scene before him.

Just then the comm crackled on once more… "Shepard we have company, but their not engaging. Scans are showing it as Cerberus."

Prendergast formed a malicious grin at the corners of his mouth at hearing the name of his beloved employer.

"Stay put Joker." he said never taking his eyes off of the man in his sights.

"You can see you're outnumbered here." he said as he began slowly walking forward.

"Take another step Shepard, and I'll blow her fucking head off." Ashley's expression didn't change. It, along with the rest of her body was locked in the same position it had been in just before Jenner had put her in stasis. Her eyes were the only thing she could control, and she was looking straight at Shepard.

Shepard stopped moving, but kept his gun at aim. "What does he want with her?" he asked in a low livid tone.

"The Illusive Man doesn't let four billion credit investments just walk away Shepard, and he's not very forgiving. Don't you get it? He owns you. Until he's satisfied that you've fulfilled your duties to him, he'll be holding onto _this_ as insurance." he said, thrusting the barrel into Ashley's head at the word 'this'.

Shepard tightened his grip on his hand cannon. His eyes were burning with rage. He wanted to rip them to pieces but had to hold on to some sense of composure. Ashley's life depended on it. "What's in it for you two? This is a pretty dangerous mission he's sent you on. He must have promised you something worthwhile in exchange…."

"Credits of course." answered Prendergast.

"And the satisfaction of getting to guard your pretty little girlfriend." Jenner taunted as his eyes greedily took in her body.

Shepard felt like he was going to be sick. He had to find an opening, and soon, or he was going to lose it. He had to reassure himself that it would never come to that. He'd never let them take her from him.

"The Illusive Man would never let you touch her." Miranda protested. "He's an extremist, not a monster."

"Ms. Lawson right? You should know better than anyone that he's too damn busy to keep an eye on all of us **_all_** the time." he reminded her.

"You'll never get the chance you fucker!" cried Jack as she squeezed the trigger of her pistol, the bullet traveling straight through Jenner's skull.

Prendergast acted on instinct pulling his gun away from Ashley's head and pointed it at Jack, a rookie mistake. Ashley, free from stasis put a hard elbow in his sternum causing him to buckle forward, gasping for air as he squeezed the trigger. Shepard, Miranda, Garrus and Thane all took the shot. Four bullets instantly entered the mans skull rendering him motionless, and very much dead as Shepard continued to empty the last five bullets straight through his heart.

Jack pulled her hands away from her stomach, the blood quickly flowing from her wound as the pressure was released. "Son of a…. bitch." she whimpered, her voice low and shallow as she fell into a deeper state of shock. She collapsed backwards into Jacob's arms and he gently rested her on the ground. He was about to administer a shot of medigel, but never got the chance.

Shepard ran over to her, lifted her up and slung her over his shoulder. "She's in shock, it won't help." he quickly stated. Without another word he ran toward the elevator, Ashley, Miranda and Garrus at his side as the door closed and the room lifted up to deck three. As soon as the doors opened he ran to the med bay, leaving a trail of blood behind them. Dr. Chakwas was out of her chair and assessing the situation the moment they stepped into the room. Shepard carefully set Jack down on the operating table and backed away as Dr. Chakwas went straight to work. "Gunshot wound, lower left abdomen, patient unconscious….."

Shepard watched from a distance, his eyes bloodshot and his body covered in blood. He was so grateful for the stupidity of the dying woman on the table. Whatever her reasoning was for what she'd done went way beyond anything he could comprehend at the moment. He just hoped, that she'd live to tell him why so that he could understand. So that he could thank her….

He felt a warm hand wrap itself around his left one and looked down. Ashley was standing at his side, fresh tears in her eyes as she stared at the woman who risked her life to save hers. He turned into her, wrapped his arms around her as she did the same and kissed her gently on the forehead over, and over again. "I'm so sorry." he whispered as they held each other. "I never would have let them take you…. I'm so sorry." They stood that way for several minutes holding onto one another. Holding on to what they'd almost lost…

Shepard took Ashley's hand in his as he turned back to the operating table. Chakwas was standing over Jack, running some numbers on her data pad. "Is she going to make it?" he asked, his voice low as if trying not to wake her.

"She's lost a surprising amount of blood Shepard… I don't have enough in my stores to do a transfusion with any success, and according to my files there's not a single human here who has her blood type….I'm sorry but, there's… nothing I can do for her." she explained, her expression one of torment as she realized her powerlessness.

"What's her blood type?" Ashley asked.

"It's one of the more rare types.. B+."

Ashley planned on paying back the woman who saved her…. She smiled as she realized she would actually get the chance. "I'm B+. Take mine." she replied as she took a seat next to Chakwas and began taking off her armor .

Dr. Chakwas didn't hesitate for a second and began preparing Jack for the transfusion as Ashley stood and placed her armor on the bench by the wall. "I'm in good hands.. You go ahead and take care of those bastards that were waiting for us."

"I'm going to need Chief Williams for several hours Shepard. If you have anything to take care of she'll be here when your done."

He bent down and kissed her on the forehead once more. She pulled his head down to hers before he could pull away and planted a passionate kiss on his mouth, as she gently held his face in her hands…. In this moment, their previous discretion, however lax, had no bounds.. Her warm mouth against his held him there, a prisoner to her every desire, and it was enough to make him dizzy. A few seconds later, she released him, and the room slowly came back into focus, as he stood up.

"Take good care of them Doc." he pleaded.

"I always do." she reassured him with a smile.

He turned and walked out of the med bay, Miranda and Garrus flanking him from behind. The Illusive Man was making it a habit of fucking with his life, and as he stepped off the elevator and made his way up the gangway towards the bridge, he knew he would have to personally, make it stop.

When they reached the bridge they could see a medium sized frigate hanging motionless, off in the distance. Shepard knew The Illusive Man wouldn't be in it. He'd have sent someone else to do his dirty work.

Joker didn't look at either of them but rather continued staring at the enemy vessel. "There's no way they can take us Shepard."

"I know." he replied. "They weren't planning on it ever going that far."

Joker looked up at Shepard, his eyes widening as they slowly appraised his blood covered body. Knowing it couldn't belong to the heavily armored man in front of him he asked, "Who?" in almost a whisper.

"Jack… She's going to make it."

Joker turned back to face his console, his face reflecting the rage of the men and woman at his side. "What do you wanna do?" he asked, his voice a rare monotone.

Shepard leaned over the console and stared at the Cerberus ship with more hatred in his heart than he'd ever felt. "Light em up Joker. And then get us the hell outta here."

"Yes sir! He exclaimed.

"Time to remind The Illusive Man of what he's lost." Miranda broke in, her arms crossed against her chest as she waited anxiously behind the helmsman.

Joker thrust the Normandy forward bringing her up to speed. The unsuspecting Cerberus crew ahead of them had no time to react. As he approached the vessel he maneuvered the Normandy so it was facing the side of the enemies ship which boasted a large Cerberus logo at it's center.

"Fire the main gun!" Shepard commanded, relishing in the fact that the enemy had no way to escape.

"Take that you sons of bitches!" Joker shouted as he plowed his fist onto the console, triggering the powerful surge of energy that reached out through space and tore through the opponent, leaving their ship in a ball of fire and splinters. "Damn it! Shit!"

"What's wrong?" Miranda asked nervously.

Joker tucked his right arm into his chest and held it there with his other hand. "I think I broke my hand… and my wrist.. And my arm." he whimpered.

Miranda applied a dose of medigel to the area, relieving him of the immediate pain.

"Thanks." he said, unraveling his arm as the medicine instantly served it's purpose.

"No problem, but you'll still need to see Dr. Chakwas so she can set the bones." she reminded him.

"I know the drill." he whined. Any ideas where we're headed next Shepard?"

"Get us through the relay Joker. Miranda, once we're through I need you to plot a course to Hagalaz." he stated as he began walking away.

"Where are you going?" she asked, concerned.

He continued walking down the gangway and shouted his reply. "I need to go have a **_chat_**with the Council…" his rage dripping from every word as he marched toward the armory on his way to the briefing room…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - Balancing Act (Bioware owns all)**

As Shepard stormed into the briefing room, he turned his gaze toward the ceiling and addressed his ship, his voice, full of fury. "EDI. Put me through to the Council."

"Understood Shepard."

The table in the center of the room descended to the floor and Shepard walked forward onto it. As the communication tech began scanning his body, the room around him collapsed into darkness and his holographic self was standing in the office of Captain Anderson.

"You'd better have a god damn good excuse for not warning me about the switch up Anderson!" he threatened.

"Shepard! We've been trying to get a hold of you for days! We discovered the bodies of our team after you'd already left and we've been unable to communicate with the Normandy since to warn you. Shepard." he paused. "We haven't been able to locate Chief Williams." His concern was clearly etched on his face.

Shepard considered this before he spoke. _They must've messed with EDI's communication hardware. No, she would've informed me._ He hesitated for only a moment to come to no conclusion before he responded."She's with me. They were Cerberus Ops, sent by The Illusive Man. They were planning on taking Ash so I'd go back to work for _**him**_." he growled.

Anderson's eyes widened as he quickly thought of the possible outcomes of this. Having seen first hand what Cerberus did to Paul Grayson, he knew that Williams had dodged a terrifying fate. "What happened?" he asked, taking note of the considerable amount of blood covering Shepard's armor.

"Their dead." his tone was cold and flat as he felt no remorse for the young men who threatened to take everything from him. "They ambushed us once we got through the relay. One of my team caused a…. diversion but got shot in the process." he said looking down at the drying blood on his chest. "We were able to take back control because of her, and Chakwas has assured me she's going to make it. We took out their ride home as well. They were already waiting when we got there."

"I'm glad to hear you didn't lose anyone Shepard." he said sincerely. "But did you get the evidence?"

Shepard didn't answer right away, but stared at Anderson. He analyzed the situation before him and was searching for some solution to the problem that was proving impossible to overcome. He knew that there was only one answer, but time was quickly running out and his patience, was wearing thin. "We couldn't retrieve the evidence." he confessed.

Anderson stopped pacing and put his hands over his eyes in frustration.

"The Illusive Man had the Collector base moved to an unknown location. He must have had it towed through the relay somehow."

Anderson looked up at Milla, removing his hands from his face and resting them at his side once more. His expression was full of defeat as he hung his head and responded. "We're out of options then…" he said in an empty tone. "Trying to find The Illusive Man in time to get proof before the reapers get here would be near impossible under even normal circumstances. But this… he's a master of lurking in the shadows Shepard. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

Shepard knew he was right. The Illusive Man would live up to his name and remain hidden behind his curtain. There was only one way left to prove his plight to the Council. Unfortunately it's success hung on the very small chance that he was right about his condition, and if he was, there was a possibility that _**he**_ had even less time. "Anderson, I need you to set up a private meeting with Councilor S'Aurilia."

Anderson's brow furrowed in his confusion, and Shepard could tell the Captain was searching for an explanation to this request. "Shepard… I don't understand."

"Look, I can't go into details right now, but I need to show the Asari Councilor something. Something only **_she_** will be able to see."

Anderson's reaction wasn't what he was expecting. "Shepard. If you try to convince her that the Reapers are real with your memory, she'll just assume that Cerberus brainwashed you into believing it in order to control you."

"I know." he replied as Anderson sunk into an even greater void of confusion. "There's something else she needs to see, but I need to be sure that it is what I think it is before we head back to the Citadel. It's all we've got in the way of proof, so I don't have to tell you how important it is that she _**does**_ see me. Can you set up the meeting or not?"

Anderson thought about it for a moment. "I can try. _**If**_ she agree to see you in person she won't come unguarded and she'll expect you to come unarmed."

"If that's what it takes, then that's what I'll do." he answered. "I'll see what I can do about getting our incoming communication back up in the meantime."

Anderson nodded his understanding, and Shepard stepped away from the table as it rose back to it's original position. "EDI."

The blue orb popped up at the head of the table in response to it's summoning. "Yes Shepard?"

"Why wasn't I informed about our incoming communication being cut off?" he asked, frustrated.

"If any of my primary functions are tampered with, a lockdown of the specific area, in this case my communication hardware, would temporarily disable any further corruption Shepard. This is only possible after taking down the firewalls protecting these functions. I have not detected any such activity, therefore the incoming communication should be fully functional."

"Is there anything else that could cause this to happen?" he asked.

"Yes. Certain safeguards can be installed to protect against undesirable AI activity. Each installment can be separately linked to each one of any AI's primary functions. If any of the safeguards exist within the Normandy, I would not be aware of them. It would defeat the purpose Shepard."

"Where can I find these safeguards?"

"Their locations would be displayed in the Normandy's blueprints."

"Thanks EDI. Inform Tali to meet me in Miranda's quarters.

"Right away Shepard." she replied.

He stepped out the door and turned the corner toward the elevator. He knew that if anybody had blueprints to the Normandy, it would be Miranda…

* * *

As he walked through the door and into Miranda's office, she was typing away at her computer, and looked up, greeting him with a smile. "Shepard. Is everything alright?" she asked noting his expression, and changing her own to match.

"Did the Illusive Man have safeguards installed on the Normandy to protect against rogue AI activity?"

"Yes." she quickly replied. "He did, but not to protect against a rogue AI. He did it to protect…" she paused. "His investment in you."

"You didn't think this was important enough to mention!" he barked. "The Council has been trying to communicate with us since we left the Citadel Miranda! We could've avoided what happened in the hangar altogether had I known about this before hand! Why would you keep this from me?" he asked in a commanding tone.

Shepard had seen Miranda cry. He'd seen her vulnerable. But he'd never seen her humbled. He raised his brow in surprise as she sunk a few inches in her chair under his query, before responding.

" To be honest, I'd forgotten till just now." she confessed.

_You sure picked the perfect time to be human, _he thought as she continued.

"The Illusive Man must have known there was a chance you might try to leave Cerberus. Had I decided not to leave Cerberus as well, I'm quite sure he would have assigned me to use this against you. Having an unshackled AI would have made it all the more dangerous, because EDI _**is**_ essentially the Normandy now. Cutting off her primary functions would have left this ship and everyone on it vulnerable... I'm sorry Shepard." she finished looking ashamed of her folly.

He couldn't bring himself to feel bad for her. Ashley could've been killed and Jack almost was. He kept his business like façade plastered to his face as he responded, not as her friend, but as her Commander. "I have made it very clear to you that I don't expect you to be perfect Miranda. But this was a mistake we couldn't afford." He paused and looked down. I'm relieving you of your duties as my XO and turning the position over to Garrus."

She turned her gaze to the floor. She was clearly upset at this decision, but quickly gathered herself as she faced him once more. "Understood Commander." she stated plainly… professionally.

They both turned their attention to the door as Tali walked in. "You wanted to see me Shepard?" she asked as she walked up and stood beside him.

"Yes. Miranda do you have the blueprints to the Normandy?"

"I have a copy. The Illusive Man has the original. It's probably how they knew where the safeguards were." she informed.

"It makes sense." he responded, turning to address his talented engineer. "Tali. Short version. The Normandy is equipped with AI preventative safeguards. The incoming communication was cut by our intruders and I need you to repair it. Miranda will give you the blueprints which you can use to find their locations."

Miranda pulled the Normandy's blueprints from the left drawer of her desk and handed them to Tali. She opened the end of the light metal tube, retrieved the prints it held and spread them out on Miranda's desk. She gave them a quick once over before rolling them back up and replacing them back into the tube. "This shouldn't be a problem Shepard. I'll get started right away." she said as she turned for the door.

"Thanks Tali."

He looked down at Miranda and paused as he met her gaze. He hoped that his decision would help her in the long run. That perhaps a position of less power would give her the _**option**_ of relaxing into her imperfections to eventually deal with them in a healthier way. He knew she'd never been given the choice before and that the opposite had been expected of her for her entire life. With this, he felt even more confident about his decision as he silently turned and followed Tali out the door.

He turned left as he exited Miranda's office and walked over to mess Sergeant Gardner. "Hey Gardner. Do we have any juice left?"

"Hmm, I think we have some orange juice." he said as he turned to check the stocks. "Here ya go." he stated as he handed Shepard the entire container and a glass.

He thanked Gardner and walked across the deck to the med bay. As he entered he saw Jack, still unconscious on the operating table and Ashley sitting on a stool at her side. They shared a tube between them as the transfusion slowly but surely continued it's progress. As he approached closer he could clearly tell that some of Jack's color had returned to her already fair complexion. She was starting to come back to life. Ashley was wrapped in a blanket and had her head lowered as she faced the wall opposite him. He could tell she was reading something. He pulled up a stool next to her, poured her a glass of juice and looked down at the data pad she was holding in her lap. She didn't acknowledge him for a moment, but continued to stare at the information. He put his hand on her back and gently rubbed it from the base of her neck to just below her shoulder blades….. Still nothing. She didn't look like she was in pain. She looked….blank. "Ash." he whispered as he attempted to pull the data pad away from her. She finally responded by releasing her grip and looking up at him. He brought it up to his face. She'd been reading the Lazarus Project files… The color drained from her face as she collapsed into his arms, passing out. "Shit! Dr. Chakwas!" he screamed as he held Ashley up, her body limp beneath his hands and her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Chakwas entered from the mess and quickly ran up to them.

"What happened!" she asked as she began taking Ashley's vitals.

He gently picked her up, careful not to disturb the tube in her arm and rested her on the bed beside Jack. "She was reading the Lazarus Project file when I walked in! She wasn't responding to me when I spoke to her!" he informed her, using as clear a tone as was possible in his panicked state.

Dr. Chakwas ran to her stores and quickly came back with a package of gauze, removing one application from the box. She removed the tube from Ashley's arm and applied pressure to the wound with the gauze as the blood from the tube began forming a puddle on the floor. "Shepard! I need you to do exactly as I have done to Jack, now!" she demanded.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before forcing himself to turn away from Ashley to face Jack. He grabbed the box from Ashley's bed as he turned and quickly performed the same procedure Dr. Chakwas had just done to Ash. He turned to look back at the Dr. who was already hooking Ashley up to an IV as he continued to apply pressure to Jack's arm. He already knew what happened, but needed to hear it from Chakwas. He needed to hear her _**say**_ that she would be ok. "Chakwas!" he pleaded as he stared at Ashley's limp body on the bed.

"She must have taken the file when I stepped out Shepard. She went into shock and passed out. It didn't help that her body was working overtime to compensate for the blood she was losing." She finished hooking her up to the IV by using surgical tape to hold the new tube to her arm. "She's going to be fine Shepard, but she's going to need a lot of rest." She shifted her gaze to Jack and quickly walked over to her. She took a minute to check her vitals before responding. "Her heart rate isn't where I'd like it to be. For a biotic in her physical condition her rate should be somewhere between 32-35 beats per minute. I'm getting 22 beats per minute Shepard." She paused before facing him directly. "At this point I don't know if she'll make it. It's up to her to pull through from here on in, and unfortunately Chief Williams cannot spare any more of her blood in her condition."

He looked down at Jack. She was a fighter. She'd been fighting everyone and everything for years. Now… she would have to fight for her life. It wasn't what he wanted for her, and as he stared down at the shell that was her body, looking for some sign of life there, he could only hope she'd pull through. "Just lay it on me Doc. What are her chances of getting through this?" he asked still gazing down at her.

Chakwas turned her gaze to Jack as well. "If her heart rate doesn't come back up soon…. Her blood will lose too much oxygen which will begin to damage her brain, possibly severely. There's about an 80% chance of this happening at this point. If her heart rate _**does**_ begin to rise, and I mean soon, even then she only has about a 30% chance of coming out of her coma. I'm sorry Shepard. The transfusion was only about halfway through. She just needed a little more time, and I'm afraid her body may have _**too**_ much to make up for." she finished. She put her hand on Shepards arm and applied a small amount of pressure, a gesture of comfort, and then slowly returned to her stores to grab some cleaning supplies for the blood on the floor.

Shepard picked up the stool by Jacks bed and set it down next to Ashley's. He walked over to the cabinet by the door and pulled out two fresh blankets. Once he unfolded the first he draped it over Jack, tucking it into her sides. He returned to Ashley's side and did the same for her, knowing how cold she would feel with the saline from the IV coursing through her veins when she awoke. As he sat down, he reached under the blanket and took her hand in his own. He couldn't blame Dr. Chakwas for this… Ash had taken it upon herself to find the file he'd never wanted her to see, when no one was looking. He never wanted her to read the details of the return from his gruesome death. To see the pictures of his unrecognizable corpse… The thought made his stomach turn..

He tilted his head forward and gently kissed the top of her hand, wishing he could protect her from ever knowing the specifics of the Lazarus Project…. He winced at the memory of reading it himself, and clung to the hope that this wouldn't cause any lasting psychological damage to her. His thoughts were cut off by Dr. Chakwas as she turned in her chair and spoke to him.

"Shepard." Her voice was calm, steady, sure. "I can see that the last thing you want right now is to leave Chief Williams side." she said with understanding. "But I have to strongly advise you to at least remove your armor so it can be cleaned and sterilized," she paused as she looked him over. "And you should probably clean yourself up as well. I'm sure the Chief will want you looking your best when she wakes up." she suggested.

He looked down at his body which was still covered in Jacks blood. It was everywhere. It even managed to get inside of his armor when he carried her here. He didn't want to leave, but slowly stood up, knowing she was right. "You'll inform me immediately if any changes occur." he asked, saying it as more of a statement than a question.

"Of course Shepard." she promised, as he quickly turned for the door on his way to his quarters…


	13. Chapter 13

I have to thank theRobbza for his amazing beta work on this fic. Without it, I might never stay on topic... (WARNING: this chapter contains major spoilers for Lair of the Shadow Broker)

* * *

****

**Chapter 13 - In This Together (Bioware owns all)**

**4:07**

As soon as the elevator door opened to deck one, he began stripping his blood soaked armor and clothes, tossing them aside in a pile by the door. He walked straight into the bathroom, turned on the water and stepped into the shower, not bothering to wait for it to get warm. The cold water stung his body as he reached for a vial of soap. The days events could be summed up by the clear red liquid that was circling around the drain as he washed. It had only been a few hours since things went south in the hangar and he still had a long day ahead of him. As he finished rinsing and turned off the water he stepped out, reached for the nearest towel and quickly dried himself off as he walked swiftly toward his dresser….

* * *

**4:08**

As she opened her eyes, a bright white light made her pupils dilate and she instinctively brought her hand up over her face to protect against the nuisance. She could feel the blanket wrapped around her body, but was shivering as she attempted to sit up in the bed. The quick movement made her dizzy and she fell back, as a slender figure came walking up to her.

"Not so fast Chief." Dr. Chakwas warned as she adjusted the pillows behind Ashley so she could sit upright. "How are you feeling?"

She rested her back against the pillows and rubbed her eyes before responding. "My head is pounding."

"Here, drink this." she said, handing Ashley a glass of the orange juice Shepard had brought for her earlier. "You need the sugar, and it should help with your headache."

"Thanks." She said as she took the glass and rested it on the bedside table. She looked to the bed to her right. Jack was under a blanket as well, unmoving. She looked down at her arm and realized that the transfusion was no longer under way. "Dr. Chakwas? Did… did the transfusion work?" she asked in an unsure tone.

"I'm afraid it's too early to tell Chief." she said, looking down at the unconscious woman. "She needed a bit more time. There's still a chance that she'll pull through, but we'll just have to wait and see I'm afraid." she paused, taking note of the worry, now etched on Ashley's face. "Nobody blames you Chief." she added, trying to comfort her.

Ashley looked down, grimacing at her own mistake and slowly shook her head from side to side. "If I'd just been more patient. I could've read those files _any_ time." she put her head in her hands, resting her elbows on the top of her bent knees. "This is my fault." she finished, speaking into her hands.

Dr. Chakwas walked around the bed, to Ashley's side and placed her hand on her back. "You can't blame yourself for this. It's because of you that Jack has a fighting chance. That's more than she would've had without your help Williams."

Ashley lifted her gaze to the empty chair to the left of her bed. Dr. Chakwas took note of this and responded accordingly. "He left about ten minutes ago to clean up. Reluctantly might I add." she informed, encouraging a smile and a laugh out of the conflicted woman at her side as she looked back up at the Dr. and brushed the tears from her eyes.

They both turned their attention to the door as Shepard walked in, carrying a fresh set of clothes for Ashley. He walked up to the bed as Chakwas made her way to the door, exiting to give them their privacy. She looked up at Shepard as she passed him, smiling. "She's all yours." she stated, as she walked through the exit toward the mess.

"Thanks Chakwas." he said with a look of gratitude as he brought his gaze back over to Ashley. He stepped forward and put her clothes on the bed as he sat down on the stool beside her. She looked better than she did only fifteen minutes ago. The ghost of the woman who passed out in his arms was already gone. Her hair was half up in a bun, while the rest flowed loosely around her back and shoulders. It was easy enough to tell that she'd had a rough day, but to Shepard, as he looked at her, half naked under the blanket and looking like she'd just woken up, she looked sexier than ever, and he knew he would need to concentrate to get through the next few minutes. His attraction for her was like a living thing that needed to be put in it's place on occasion. This, was one of them, and as the bigger picture came back into focus, he cleared his throat and spoke to her. "I never wanted you to see those files Ash." he confessed, taking her hand.

She lowered her gaze before responding. "They really performed a miracle bringing you back Shepard. I suppose I have Miranda to thank mostly, but…." she paused and turned her gaze to Jack. "I really messed up this time."

"Hey." he interjected, recapturing her attention. "You're the only reason she's still alive and Jack's stronger than you think." he didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to make her feel any worse either. "Chakwas says there's a chance. Don't forget that that's only because of you Ash."

She nodded her acceptance of this though it was against her nature to do so, and skillfully changed the subject. "So… where are we headed skipper?" she asked, as she grabbed the orange juice and took a sip.

"We're on course for Hagalaz." he replied as she stared blankly back at him.

"Hagalaz? She couldn't think of a logical explanation for this, and waited for him to continue.

As she stared down at him, waiting for an answer he decided it was time to come clean with her. They were in this together and he wanted her to know what he knew. "The file you read. It doesn't mention anything about _how_ Cerberus got my body."

She nodded. "No, I just assumed they heard about the attack and went looking for you."

"They attempted to. But the Shadow Broker's agents found me first. They were planning on selling my body to the Collectors."

Her eyes widened as she took in this new, disturbing information. Shepard knew she could handle it, and continued.

"The Illusive Man hired Liara to hunt them down and steal my body back. He promised her he'd bring me back to life if he could only get my body back from the Shadow Broker agents before the Collectors disappeared with me."

"He hired T'Soni? But…" she stopped mid-thought, realizing why the Illusive Man would do this, and why Liara would accept. "She's in love with you…." she whispered, thinking out loud. "I knew she had feelings for you back when we worked together, but I didn't know they were that strong. I had no idea how it would affect her when you were gone." she admitted as the pieces began to fall into place.

"Under different circumstances, what Liara did could be considered careless, even ruthless. But they _did_bring me back. And I don't even want to think about what would've happened to me if the Collectors got my body instead. I'm grateful for what she did Ash. Because of Liara, _we_ get another chance. I wouldn't change that for anything." he added, brushing a loose strand of dark curly hair from her eyes.

She responded to this by taking his hand and slowly kissing the top of it, before resting them back in her lap. "I wouldn't either Shepard. I'm glad Liara did what she did, it's just… I wasn't there when you needed me. I never accepted that you were gone, but I did come to accept that you'd moved on, away from this life." she confessed.

"And that's all you could've done Ash. You had no way to know what plans were in store for me. And if you had, you would have risked your _own_ life to stop them. And it would've been the right thing to do at the time." he added, reassuring her.

His last words resonated within her like ice and fire. He was right. She would've done anything, risked _everything_ to stop Cerberus from going through with their experiment had she known about it. And when she succeeded, if she succeeded, Shepard would have been gone forever. "You're right. I would have done everything within my power to stop them from ever touching you." She gently placed her hand on the left side of his face and traced his lips with the base of her thumb. "I'm glad they didn't come to me first."

He knew what she meant, and was thankful for her understanding. He smiled his approval of this and took a deep breath before continuing. "Liara made a friend in her search for me, a Drell named Feron. She walked away from the mission. He didn't. I went to Illium to see her about a month ago. I needed intel I could trust, and she'd become a fairly successful information broker. It took some persuading, but she finally owned up to her working with Cerberus to get me back and was in the process of trying to hunt down the Shadow Broker. She was guilt stricken for handing my body to the Illusive Man, and blinded by revenge for what she thought happened to Feron. I wanted to help. She was spiraling down a very dangerous path by herself, and I couldn't just sit back and watch her drown. She may have helped Cerberus for the wrong reasons but she's still my friend, and she was in way over her head. I got a lead from Cerberus intel and brought it to Liara. It turned out Cerberus was interested in helping with the hunt due the Shadow Broker's past work with the Collectors. It was a leaked transmission between Shadow Broker Operatives and hinted to the location of his base of operations. It also suggested that Feron, was still alive."

As he recalled the events that led him to this point, he remembered something Liara had said to him that day. _I've spent two years plotting revenge. Now I have the chance to make it a rescue. _It was the first time since he'd been back, that he really felt like he'd been gone for two years. It was then, that Liara's behavior toward the Shadow Broker, made perfect sense.

I went to meet Liara at her apartment, but when I got there, she was gone and a Spectre named Tela Vasir was heading an investigation into her whereabouts. Somebody had taken shots at T'Soni before arrived, and I knew she would've left me a message somewhere. I searched her place and found a backup disk of the call she'd made just before she escaped. She left a trail… It was made to a Salarian named Sekat. She'd already had him working on trying to find the location of the Broker base and wanted her to meet him at his office, Baria Frontiers in the Dracon Trade Center. So that's where I went next….. When I got there, it became clear that the Broker was already two steps ahead of us. He had his agents take out three floors with explosives just to make sure Liara was dead. I searched the building from the bottom up and Vasir took her sky car to search from the top down. The Brokers agents were waiting for us inside, and we fought our way through them to the Baria Frontiers office. Liara was there, alive, and so was Vasir. She informed me that Vasir was the one who tried to kill her, and that she was working with the Shadow Broker. It explained how they were already there waiting for us. Vasir stole the data Sekat had about the Shadow Broker's location and escaped. We followed her in a sky car and during the chase Vasir lost control and crashed on Azure. The accident wounded her and we followed a trail of blood to her location, while fighting back a hoard of Broker agents. He really didn't want us to have that information…. Vasir was a talented biotic, but she'd lost a lot of blood. It didn't take long for us to take her out and get the data back."

Ashley continued to carefully listen, and analyze the new information. He'd been very busy since she'd seen him on Horizon. _It's no wonder he didn't respond to my letter. When would he have ever gotten the chance? _she thought, as he resumed with the conversation.

"We jumped on the next lead, which led us straight to the Brokers main base of operations. We fought through his agents to Feron and eventually to the Shadow Broker himself. It was a hell of a fight, but in the end, he lost, and Liara took over as the Shadow Broker. I trust her to do the right thing with all that power, and for now, it's the best form of intel we could've hoped for.

As he finished talking he could tell Ashley had a lot of questions…. He was prepared to answer all of them.

"So… what was he anyway?" she asked curiously.

He laughed, not expecting this to be her first question. "He was a Yahg. He'd killed the previous Shadow Broker and took over about sixty years ago. I'd seen pictures of the Yahg before, but never really appreciated the size of them until that day."

"Does Cerberus know that Liara is the new Shadow Broker?"

"I don't think so, but there's no way of knowing for sure. As far as I know, they think we recaptured Feron from the Broker's agents _somewhere_near the Sowilo System. Beyond that, I believe they're still in the dark."

"So the Broker's been hiding on Hagalaz all this time? It's kinda outta the way, but not exactly the best choice for someone like him. How is it that nobody's ever found his base before now?"

"Hagalaz has a storm system that slowly circles the planets atmosphere. The Broker Base is located at the center of this storm and moves within it around the planet, remaining hidden from view."

"Hiding in plain sight. Smart. So what kind of intel do you need from Liara?" she asked, quickly getting back to the point.

He didn't want to tell her, but he knew it could only hurt her more later if he was right. "The other day, when I told you I had a bad dream. I'm not so sure that's what it was at all. I think….. It was like the vision I saw on Eden Prime, but it didn't have anything to do with the Protheans. It wasn't even a vision. I just… heard something talking. It's voice…. It had the same tone that Sovereign spoke with on Virmire. I need to know if there's anything more to this. That's why I need to see Liara…. She'll be able to tell if it was just a dream, or if it was… something else."

Her brow furrowed as she grew confused with this new information. "Wouldn't that mean there's some kind of a connection between you and the Reapers though? How is that even possible Shepard?" she asked, perplexed.

"I think there's a possibility that Cerberus implanted me with Reaper tech when they rebuilt me. They did it with EDI." he informed. "If I'm right about this.. There's a very good chance that Miranda's known all along, but I don't know what it means, and I wouldn't expect her to be honest about it if she hasn't been yet."

Just then the comm overhead crackled on, drawing their attention to the speaker in the corner of the room. "Commander. Twenty minutes ETA to Hagalaz." Joker informed.

"Thanks Joker." he said, returning his attention to Ashley.

The look on Ashley's face went from confused to one of horror as Shepard laid this last confession down. If he truly was connected to the Reapers, there was no way of knowing what could come of it, but she did know it couldn't be anything good. "If you are right and she's responsible for it, I'll be introducing my boot to her face. I'm coming with you." she said as she swiveled in the bed and touched her feet to the cold floor.

Shepard quickly stood, sending the stool to the floor as Ashley unwrapped the blanket from her body and began getting dressed.

"You should stay here and get some re…."

She turned as she zipped up her pants. "I'm coming with you." she stated with a tone of finality, cutting him off.

Dr. Chakwas re-entered the room from the mess and walked up to them. "Chief, I have to strongly advise you to stay here and get some rest."

Ashley gave the Dr. a look displaying her sheer lack of interest in what she _should_ do.

"I can see I'm not going to persuade you to stay. At least take it easy for a while." she suggested as she walked forward to remove the IV from Ashley's arm.

"Will do doc. I'm feeling much better already." she lied, trying as hard as she could to maintain her balance without them noticing her effort.

Shepard knew there was no way to stop her. She'd do what she wanted no matter what he said. It was one of the things he loved about her. Her unfaltering stubbornness was just part of who she was. As Ashley sat back down on the bed and began putting on her boots Chakwas walked back over to her desk and sat down with a look of defeat.

Shepard grabbed the jug of orange juice and strategically took Ashley's hand in an attempt to keep her from losing her balance. He could tell she was trying to maintain it on her own, and knew better than to call her out on it. _Always has to be so damn strong, _he thought with a smile as they walked out the door on their way to the Kodiak.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks again to theRobbza for all your wonderful beta work on this fic, and thanks to everyone who's been reading it every week. It's wonderful to see that so many of you are enjoying it so far.

Thanks for all the support and excellent feedback as well.

-Milla

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 14 - Catching Up (Bioware owns all)**

As Shepard and Ashley exited the med bay, Ashley released her grip on his hand as Kasumi strolled into the mess. With the memory of their last encounter she'd decided it wouldn't be fair, or professional to flaunt their relationship in front of the grieving woman. Shepard knew what would happen before it did, and slowed his pace to match the still recovering brunette at his side as they made a turn for the forward batteries.

"Come on Williams." he said smiling down at her. We have to make a quick stop before we leave."

As they reached the end of the gangway and the door opened, Garrus turned around from his console to face his guests. His expression went from one of concentration to what Ashley thought was a smile as he reached his hand out to greet his old friend. "Haven't had the chance to really welcome you back to the Normandy Chief. It's good to see an old face." he said as she took his hand, returning the gesture.

"It's good to see you too Garrus." she agreed. "Speaking of faces, I've been meaning to ask. What the hell happened to yours?"

"Got in a fight with a gunship back on Omega." he said putting his hand over the old wound. "I won… well, Shepard helped." he joked.

"Ya know Garrus.." she said, crossing her arms with a crooked smile. "I think you look better this way."

Garrus crossed his own arms and looked at Shepard. It wasn't easy for most humans to distinguish one Turian facial expression from the next. But Shepard knew his old friend well, and easily picked up on the self satisfaction emanating from his body language. "I told you women like a man with scars."

"Actually Garrus." Ashley interrupted. "I meant that it distracts anyone from looking at the rest of that mug of yours."

Garrus looked back at Ashley while Shepard laughed at her side. "It's definitely good to have you back Chief." he laughed. "We've missed your sense of humor around here." he added. "So… Shepard." he said turning back to his Commander. "I'm assuming you're here to give me that promotion I've been hearing all about?"

Shepard wasn't surprised to hear that Garrus was so well informed. The Normandy SR-2 was more than twice the size of the original, but secrets and gossip were like a virus on any ship. A virus that could spread like a plague from one end to the other with nothing but walls and tight quarters to bounce off of. "News travels fast on the Normandy." Shepard replied. "I take it you're up for the job then?"

Garrus leaned back into the console, crossing his legs in front of him. "I'm always up for a challenge Shepard, but what changed your mind about Miranda?" he asked curiously.

"She dropped the ball in updating me about some important _features _of the new Normandy. Short version?… We could've potentially avoided what happened down in the hangar altogether had I known."

"That's one hell of a mistake, especially for Lawson." he said looking surprised.

Ashley looked up at Shepard, her expression fierce. "She's the reason we got blindsided by those scummy Cerberus twerps?" she asked, perplexed. "Am I the only one who sees the connection there?" she continued in an accusing tone.

Shepard responded to both Ashley, and Garrus. "I haven't ruled out the idea that Miranda may be double dealing with Cerberus, though I have good reason to doubt it, and that's the other reason I'm here." he added looking over to the console to the left of the door. "EDI."

"Yes Shepard." she replied.

_Huh, it's voice __**is**__ feminine. _Ashley thought, as the Normandy's AI came to life in the small room.

"I want you to keep Garrus and Garrus alone updated with Miranda's day to day. I don't want her so much as flossing her teeth without him knowing about it."

"Understood Shepard."

"And EDI."

"Yes Shepard?"

"I'm leaving the Normandy for a few hours. If anything happens while I'm gone, send a message to the shuttle."

"Understood Shepard."

Shepard turned back toward Garrus and addressed him once more. "Just keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. If you hear anything, you know how to reach me."

"This should be… interesting." Garrus chirped sarcastically.

"Sorry Garrus." Shepard replied. "You wanted a challenge." he reminded.

"So I did." Garrus admitted. "But don't worry Shepard. I know being your XO isn't supposed to be a walk in the park as you humans say. Though, Lawson sure made it seem like one."

"Well, Lawson made a mistake.. One we couldn't afford. I know you'll make the right choices Garrus. That's why I made this decision."

"**_I_** certainly won't be losing any sleep over it." Ashley quipped.

Shepard picked up on Ashley's growing mistrust for his previous XO, but said nothing. Ash had no reason to trust Miranda, and he knew he had to respect that. He _**did**_ trust her however, and was having a hard time believing she would stab him in the back for the sake of Cerberus, who only saw her as a tool. He hoped it was just an honest mistake she'd made, and felt bad for what he had to do, but he knew he couldn't take any chances, especially when it came to Miranda Lawson. She was smart and had good connections, and not just in the Terminus Systems. If she really wanted to… She could severely compromise or possibly even pull the plug on any further progress he could hope to make simply by getting in his way. It still didn't make sense to him as he struggled to fit the pieces together. He knew from experience that if he could find no concurrence in the recent events on the Normandy pointing to Miranda as a traitor, then something else entirely could be going on. Unfortunately, he would just have to wait for this to play out, or get rid of her altogether. Neither of which he _**wanted**_ to do.

"What's wrong Chief? Don't you like our new friends?" Garrus asked in an attempt to rattle her.

"Look." she said, not taking the bait. "I get why _**you're**_ here Garrus. But Miranda specifically signed up to work for Cerberus. _Maybe_ for the wrong reasons, but that's no excuse. If she wanted to help humanity, she could've joined the Alliance." she stated, making her point.

"You make a good point, but I'm not really one to talk." Garrus stated. "Sometimes it's just more satisfying to take things into your own hands."

Shepard laughed. "Like you did on Omega right Garrus?" he asked sarcastically.

"Exactly Shepard." he replied. "It's a good thing you showed up when you did though. I don't think I would've been able to hold back those mercs by myself much longer."

Ashley interjected as she quickly put two and two together. "Wait a minute. That was you causing all that trouble on Omega? I thought it was some vigilante named Archangel." she stated confused.

Garrus looked impressed to be figured out so easily, but Shepard wasn't surprised Ashley drew this conclusion from their conversation. She was always quick witted and had a natural talent for reading between the lines. Omega was a nesting ground for violence and most crimes were never widely talked about or advertised. But the events that birthed the Archangel, had the extranet buzzing with reports, updates and even ads aimed at freelancers of all varieties to join the cause.

"The locals started calling him that once they realized what he was doing." Shepard informed. "It was actually pretty impressive. I'd never seen the Blue Suns, Eclipse and the Blood Pack work together before. Garrus managed to piss them off _**that**_ badly."

"Damn Garrus." Ashley said with a tone of surprise. "That _**is**_ impressive."

"Well, what can I say. I have a tendency to bring out the best in the worst I guess, though I'm not nearly as good at it as Shepard." he joked.

"Give it time Garrus." Ashley suggested with an air of sarcasm. "The better you do for the Universe the more enemies you'll have for it."

"True enough." he agreed.

"Alright Garrus. We'd love to stay and chat, but we've gotta get going." Shepard declared.

"Understood Commander.." he stated in a friendly tone. "It's been nice catching up with you Williams. And don't think I've forgotten your promise to teach me hand to hand, Marine."

"Sure, if you still think you can keep up with me. I don't have a problem with kicking your ass Garrus." She joked as her and Shepard turned for the door.

"You might have you're work cut out for you Williams." Shepard stated. "Garrus has _reach_." he joked, in reference to a recent conversation between him and his friend. "I'm not worried." She replied. "He might have reach with those long arms, but _**I've**_ got flexibility." she stated proudly.

As they walked down the gangway Shepard and Ashley could hear Garrus cracking up. "I heard that!" he shouted as his laughter was cut off by the closing door.

As they turned the corner and entered the elevator for the hangar, Shepard looked at Ashley, his expression amazed. "Did Garrus ever tell you his story about how Turians prepare for high risk missions?"

"Uh.. No. Why? You worried he's gonna best me Shepard?" She asked amused at the randomness of his question.

"No.." he replied holding back his own laughter. "When it comes to placing bets, mines on you."

She squinted her eyes, having noted the humor on his face. "What's so funny?" she asked with a suspicious smile.

He couldn't help himself any longer, and his reply came out in a burst of amusement. "Garrus told me about a sparring session he once had with a female Turian. They went nine rounds and held a tie breaker in her quarters. Apparently he had reach, but she had flexibility." he stated keeping his laughter mostly under control.

"You guys think you're pretty damn funny huh?" she asked with a mischievous grin. "With all due respect Commander, I _**do**_ have flexibility." she sassed as the elevator dropped them off at the hangar and she walked out in front of him.

"I'm well aware of that fact Chief." he complimented as he followed her to the Kodiak. "Wait, did you just tell me to kiss your ass?"

She laughed and turned, waiting for him to catch up. "Well, I can see you have no problem _**staring**_ at my ass, might as well kiss it too." she joked as he spun her around and kissed her unexpectedly.

He held her there for a moment in his arms, forming a crooked grin as her laughter slowly diminished to a sweet smile. "Later." he teased, as he let her go and entered the Kodiak.

"Ya, we'll just have to see about that." she said playfully, as she followed him into the shuttle.

As they lifted off and exited the Normandy, Ashley stared out the window, seeing the storm system of Hagalaz for the first time. The sheer size and anger of it, would be enough to evoke second thoughts out of most people, but it didn't shake her. "Can I ask you a question?" she said looking away from the view and at Shepard with a seriousness, he wasn't expecting.

"Of course." he replied, leaning forward in his seat.

"What did you mean when you said you have good reason to doubt Miranda betraying you?" she asked with curiosity and concern.

"It's a long story Ash, but I think it'll help you understand what I meant." Miranda was genetically engineered by her father who used a modified copy of his own genome to do it. He's wealthy, extremely influential and completely ego-maniacal. She had it really rough as a kid growing up with this guy. He refused to let her have any kind of social life, and wasn't interested in a daughter, but a dynasty and never praised her for any of her accomplishments.

She ran away from home and he tried hunting her down, until she joined up with Cerberus in exchange for protection. Suddenly she was surrounded by people as smart as she is, and of course they appreciated her abilities, she was the poster child for human advancement when she signed up. When I first met Miranda, she was fairly loyal to the Illusive Man. I think she saw him as the father figure she'd always wanted, but he manipulated her into believing he genuinely cared, when he was only using her for his own personal gain and for the advancement of Cerberus's cause.

Miranda wasn't the only one to escape from her father when she joined up with Cerberus. She took her younger sister with her when she left home. She's now seventeen, and came to be in the same fashion as Miranda, making them genetic twins. With Cerberus's help, Miranda managed to secure a new life for Oriana on Illium with a foster family…. Miranda's father stopped looking for _**her**_, but he never stopped looking for her sister. She caught a break from a contact of hers a few months ago, that proved her father had finally found Oriana. I helped her relocate her sister and her foster parents before he could intervene.

You know the value of family Ash. Miranda joined Cerberus for the sole purpose of protecting herself and her sister from their father, and I can't blame her for seeking protection. Even if it was from the wrong place."

Ashley listened carefully while she evaluated this information. She could definitely relate to Miranda's situation as far as family was concerned. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do to protect her sisters, and it seemed like Miranda's heart was in the right place, with the wrong people.

"I just can't see her going back to Cerberus now that she's," he paused searching for the right words… "Free of them. But you're right.. We have to be realistic and look at the facts. That's why I'm not going to let anything slip through the cracks on this." he finished, as the Kodiak decelerated and prepared to land outside the entrance of the large base.

"Sounds like she's had it rough, and I can sympathize about her sister, but it also seems like Miranda's not the type of person who messes up _**accidentally**_." Ashley replied.

"You're right, she's not. Her father made her to be perfect, and she grew up to become a perfectionist. I've never seen Miranda make a mistake like this until recently." he admitted. "That's why I'm taking such extreme measures to get to the bottom of it."

The door to the Kodiak opened and it's interior was quickly filled with the sharp hissing of unnaturally warm and powerful wind. Ashley shivered as the warm air swept over her skin, sending chills throughout her body. The ship itself was producing a thunderous booming that could be heard and felt as the floor vibrated below their feet. "Come on!" Shepard shouted, over the roaring orchestra of sound, as he led the way to the entrance of the base…


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - Biotic Burns, Bullet Holes and Blood (Bioware owns all)**

_**16:39...**_

The winding hallway seemed to never end. Their footsteps were the only sound as they wound deeper into the heart of the large, empty base. As they approached closer to their destination, the evidence of a firefight became the only proof that anyone had ever been here. Written like a story on the walls around them, in a language familiar to those in their line of work. Biotic burns, bullet holes and blood….

Ashley looked up at Shepard as they reached the entrance to the operations chamber. She could tell he was grinding his teeth by the tensing in his jaw. Something he did when he was agitated, nervous.

" Hey." she said stepping in front of him and putting a firm hand to his chest before he could open the door. "Are you ok Shepard?"

His heart was racing, and he could feel his nerves coming to the surface as he looked down at her concerned face. There was so much he wanted to say… Everything he'd been hoping for was on the horizon, yet still so completely out of reach. "A week ago I was surviving because I had to. I only existed to stop the Reapers, to do my job.. I never expected you to come back, and when you did… I never expected you'd want to stay. So much depends on what we're about to find out. I'm just… worried." he admitted.

She loved that he didn't see his vulnerabilities as weaknesses like so many other men she'd known in her life. He was always himself with her, wanting her to know his heart. Everything he said echoed her own feelings but in this moment, he needed _her_ to be strong. "No matter what happens in there.. No matter what we find out.. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.. And neither are you. It hasn't happened again since that morning right?" she asked.

He took a deep breath, finding comfort in her words. "No, that was the only time. Alright, let's get this over with." he said, opening the door and stepping into the large round chamber.

* * *

_**Approximately Two Days Earlier…**_

Liara T'soni was standing over her console listening in to a very tense and private conversation between Councilor David Anderson and Kahlee Sanders…

"If this means what I think it means…"

"David we have no way of knowing for sure.. We both know there have been leaks in the Alliance. Are you even sure you can trust your source?"

"She wouldn't have tampered with this data if that's what your saying. I know Williams, and I trust her."

"We both saw what happened to Grayson. If Cerberus really did this to Shepard…. You know what has to happen."

Liara listened carefully, barely breathing…

"I know… It's just…"

"David… I know what he means to you, but… If we don't do something about him _now_.. We may never get the chance. I know you know this in your heart… It's why you came to me instead of going straight to the rest of the Council."

"I don't believe it Kahl!… I can't believe it! He seemed… Well, pissed off and upset the last time I saw him, but _fine_…. I need to talk to him first."

"But…"

"But nothing Kahl. I _know_ him and I remember what that thing did to Grayson. If I see even a shred of it in Shepard… I'll step up and do what needs to be done myself."

Liara backed away from the console as the conversation came to a close. She was familiar with the circumstances that led to the death of Paul Grayson, and for the _second_ time, she wondered if she'd made a mistake when she handed Cerberus Shepards' body.

…

_**Approximately 5 Days Earlier…**_

Ashley Williams stepped out of the SSV Madrid exhausted, with still one thing left to do before her assignment was complete. As she rode the elevator down to the Presidium she couldn't help but wonder what the encrypted data in her hand would reveal. It had to be something good. The mercs on Quana had been willing to die for it. As she strode down the walkway toward Councilor Anderson's office, her more prominent concerns rested at the very top of the file which boasted a small Cerberus symbol, and at the bottom a name she didn't recognize…

"Hey Kierna, is he here?" she asked politely.

"Chief Williams, it's good to see you back so soon." she said in her usual, yet not overly cheerful way. "Yes he's in his office, I'll let him know you're here."

Kierna pressed the call button beside her desk, and Anderson promptly picked up…

"Yes?"

"Operations Chief Williams is here to see you."

"Send her in."

"Thanks Kierna." Ashley added as she walked past the desk and into Anderson's office.

"Williams, what have you got for me?" he asked, getting straight to business.

Ashley handed Anderson the data pad, folded her arms behind her back and squared off her shoulders. "It's encrypted, but it's definitely Cerberus sir." she informed as Anderson began looking it over. "The mercs were holed up in an abandoned warehouse not far from the coordinates you gave us. This and a couple of crates of red sand were all we found."

Anderson turned for his desk, his attention still on the data in his hands. "There's a name here. Dr. Brian Wilson." he read aloud. "Doesn't ring a bell, but it's all we've got. Thanks Williams. I won't keep you any longer. Go get some rest Chief. You've earned it."

"Sir." she stated with a salute, then turned on her heels and headed out the door for her apartment….

_**Present Day: Shadow Broker Base.  
**__**Time: 16:42:25.. 26.. 27.. 28...**_

As the door opened they were greeted by a floating white orb. Ashley reached for her hand cannon as Shepard put up his hand, signaling that it was ok.. "It's the old Shadow Broker's VI assistant." he said, as Ashley lowered her weapon.

"Welcome back Shadow Broker. Please let me know if I can organize anything else for you Shadow Broker."

"It thinks anyone in the room is the Broker." he informed as he led her further into the room.

Liara was busy as usual in front of the large operating station when they walked in. She turned and looked up once she heard the approaching footsteps and greeted her guests with a look of surprise upon realizing Shepard hadn't come alone.

"Shepard." she said, shaking his hand. "It's good to see you again. Chief Williams." she nodded with a forced, but very genuine looking smile.

"T'Soni." Ashley said, nodding back. Remaining civil.

"Welcome. I got your message, and I heard about what happened beyond the Relay. I tried to contact you, but I couldn't get through to the Normandy for some reason. Either way, I'm glad you… you're both ok."

Shepard tried to stay on topic, wanting the awkward moment to pass.. "We had some trouble with our incoming communications for a while, but they're back up now. Looks like you're just about done getting this place back in order." He said, scanning the room. "You seem to be adjusting to the heavy workload as well."

Liara looked up and around the room, admiring the progress that had been made so far. "Yes.. It's coming along much faster than I imagined it would. Having Feron here has helped a great deal. We've been able to manage the job in shifts. He's quite gifted when it comes to this type of work. Though, it may only seem that way since he can remember everything I've taught him without trying very hard. He's become something of an expert when it comes to calling on his memory. I believe he learned to control it as a survival mechanism when he was being held here by the old Broker."

"Sounds incredibly useful," Shepard said. "And it's good to see that you're getting some rest." he said turning his attention to the balcony above them as Feron descended to meet them.

"Shepard, I'm glad you made it here in one piece. Liara told me what happened."

Shepard took Ferons hand and shook it. "How ya doin Feron? I hear you've been helping quite a bit around here."

"I owe Liara, and you a lot. I fill in if she needs me, it's the least I can do."

"This is Operations Chief Williams of the Alliance. She served with me two years ago aboard the first Normandy and has teamed up with me again to fight the Reapers." he informed gesturing to Ashley.

"It's nice to meet you Chief." Feron said as he shook Ashley's hand.

"Nice to meet you too. This is quite the ship you've got here." she added taking in the surroundings.

"It's big alright." he agreed.

"Feron, would you take over for awhile? I need to talk to Shepard and Chief Williams." Liara asked.

"Of course Liara. Take as much time as you need."

She smiled her appreciation and gestured for Shepard and Ashley to follow. "Come. We can talk in here." she added, leading them into the lounge beyond the operations chamber.

They each took a seat on the leather couch, Ashley and Shepard side by side and Liara across from them on it's other half.

"So tell me Shepard. What was this dream you had?"

"It was like the visions I had on Eden Prime and Virmire, except it wasn't a vision. It felt the same. Like I wasn't the one in control. And something was speaking. It's voice… It sounded the same way Sovereign's did."

"I see." she said, having difficulty trying not to appear shaken, knowing what she did. She managed to find a small amount of comfort in the fact that he seemed to be himself. For now at least…

"You've read the Lazarus Project file Liara." he said as he took Ashley's hand in his, at his side. "You're the only one I trust who can…"

"Do what I do, I know." she said, cutting him off. "I'm sorry… of course I'll help you."

She stood and Shepard followed her lead. Ashley stood as well, feeling protective and uneasy over what was about to happen.

Liara stepped forward, bridging the distance between her and Shepard. "Relax Commander." she said in her breathy voice. "Embrace eternity!"

Shepard went into an REM like state as Liara sifted through his memories. Ashley knew how important it was to let it be, but was having a hard time with the fact that her and Shepard's recent private moments were being picked through. She didn't relish in the fact that it might hurt Liara to see her and Shepard together intimately…. She didn't want her to see it _at all_…

Ashley paced back and forth, her arms crossed at her chest as she waited for the joining to cease. Looking back and forth from one to the other it seemed like Shepard was… uncomfortable and Liara seemed even less so, forcing Ashley to wonder what they were seeing.

She stopped pacing as Liara quickly lifted her head, breaking the bond between her and Shepard. She sucked in a deep breath, gasping for air as if she'd been drowning in his mind. Ashley ran over to her and stopped her from losing her balance and falling into the table as Shepard swayed on the spot, clearly not back from the trip. She helped Liara find the couch and sit down and turned to help Shepard.

"T'Soni! What the hell happened? I don't remember it taking this long for him to come back!"

Liara put a hand to her head, clearly weakened from the encounter. "I… I couldn't break the joining properly." "she gasped, still trying to catch her breath.

Ashley held onto Shepard as he fell back into the couch. He landed in an awkward position with his back on the seat, and his head resting against the back.

"Liara! What do I do!" she screamed as Shepard lay limp below her.

"I… don't know! This has never happened to me before!" she replied in tears, trying to get up.

"Damn it!" Ashley yelled. "Wake up!" she begged slapping Shepard hard across the face. "Wake up Shepard!" she cried as she delivered a second blow.

His eyes began to slowly open and close as he came back to consciousness.

"Oh thank God, are you ok Shepard?" she asked as she helped him into a more comfortable sitting position.

He put his hand over his head as he sat up, the discomfort of the event clearly etched on his face. "I… I'm ok Ash. What happened?" he asked as both he and Ashley looked over to Liara.

She managed to sit up and had almost completely caught her breath. "I…. I'm not sure. It felt like something was holding me in your subconscious. It wouldn't let me go."

"What do you mean _something_ was holding you there?" Ashley asked in an accusatory tone.

"That's exactly what I mean I'm afraid." she confessed looking horrified. "Something other than Shepard has taken an active role in his mind. I couldn't see what it was… But I could feel it. It was… trying to figure out _what_ I was. And it was… unhappy with my presence."

Shepard closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The thought that he wasn't alone in his own mind disturbed him immensely. He held on as firmly as he could to his composure as this new information sunk in. He opened his eyes as he felt a familiar warm hand on top of his own.

"You didn't see anything at all? Not even the dream I mentioned?" he asked.

"No, I'm afraid I didn't Shepard, however whatever it is… it's direcly connected to something inside of you. I could…. _Feel_ the energy passing from something in you, to the entity it's transmitting to and back. Like a radio wave."

"So, let me get this straight." Ashley cut in. "Something inside of Shepard is sending a signal to whatever it is that's in his head?"

"Precisely."

"So if we can figure out what and where this signal is, I could have it removed and this thing in my head will go away?" he asked, trying to find _some_ hope in a hopeless situation.

"Technically that should work, yes." Liara replied. Trying to figure out what's causing it could be a problem though.

Ashley looked at Shepard, her expression grim.

"I think I know someone who may know _exactly_ what's causing it." Shepard stated, reflecting the unforgiving look of the woman at his side.

Liara's eyes widened as she realized what this could mean for the fate of the Lazarus Project Director. The same woman she worked with two years ago in the fight to get Shepards body back. Miranda Lawson had a lot to worry about if she did indeed know about Shepard being implanted with Reaper tech. Liara could feel the weight of her decision in helping Cerberus two years ago weighing down on her harder and heavier than ever. She didn't know if it was possible to stop the process his body was undergoing even as they sat there. She did know that he and the rest of the Universe had even more to worry about if they couldn't.

As Shepard slowly stood up next to Ashley, ready to leave for the Normandy, the haunting words of David Anderson filled Liara's mind once more.

_I remember what that thing did to Grayson. If I see even a shred of it in Shepard… I'll step up and do what needs to be done myself… _


	16. Chapter 16

Alright guys, sorry for the wait.. this chapter is kind of a transition for the next chapter so.. that's why it's so short.. I'll have the next one up soon though. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 16 - Intervention (Bioware owns all)**

Before departing from the base, Shepard asked Ashley for a moment alone with Liara…

"I just wanna make sure she's ok.. I'll only be a minute." he promised as they stood by the door.

Ashley gave him a_ do you have to? _look, before nodding her understanding and turning out the door.

Shepard waited for it to close before turning back towards Liara, who was standing by the couch looking exhausted.

"I know it takes a lot out of you.. Maybe even more so this time than ever. Are you gonna be alright?" he asked with genuine concern as he walked toward her.

She didn't answer right away. Her mind was still focused on the possibilities and complications that lay in his future. If he couldn't figure out a way to cleanse his body of the tainted technology that was taking him over, this could be the last friendly conversation they ever have. With this at the forefront of Liara's troubled mind, she decided it was important that he know exactly what she knew…

"I am going to be fine Shepard. It is you that I am worried about. There's something you need to know. I hoped that I would not have to tell you at all, but unfortunately under the circumstances, I must."

He appreciated that he didn't ever have to guess what Liara was feeling. She wore her emotions on her sleeve with him, only putting up the walls other women he'd known held on to so often when she felt it was necessary. One such wall came crumbling down the second Ash left the room, an outcome he'd been expecting…

"Doing what you do up here has it's advantages for someone like me Liara. I figured you'd know something."

"Yes… It does have it's advantages." she agreed, returning to her spot on the couch and gesturing for him to join her.

He sat down next to her, legs spread, hunched over and rested each one of his arms on the top of his legs, clasping his hands at his knees.

"You two look… happy together" Liara said gracefully, though the words seemed to cause her physical pain..

Shepard looked up at the door and couldn't hold back a small smile. Though he knew his relationship with Ashley hurt Liara, he refused to mourn it for anyone's sake, even hers. "We are." he replied turning his gaze to hers. "I'm surprised to hear you say that though… I thought for sure we both looked anxious and worried when we walked in." he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She let out a small chuckle at this, allowing the intensity to lift slightly.

"I'm afraid that your concerns _are_ well placed Shepard." she informed, getting back to business.

"I need to know everything I can if I want to have any chance of surviving this." he said seriously.

She nodded her agreement before responding. "You're right. A few days ago I overheard a conversation that is relevant to your… situation. It was between Councilor Anderson and a woman he seemed to know quite well who he referred to as Kahl. I did a little digging and found out her full name is Kahlee Sanders. She was involved in the mission Anderson was sent on with Saren when he was being considered for the Spectre's."

"Her name doesn't ring any bells, but if she was involved with Anderson back then, they've known each other for a long time. What did they say?"

"I've recently become aware of an experiment the Illusive Man was conducting on a man named Paul Grayson. He too was connected to the mission Councilor Anderson was sent on when he met Ms. Sanders. Grayson was working for Cerberus at the time, but betrayed them. Eventually he was captured and used as a test subject by the Illusive Man. He was implanted with Reaper Tech and before long, was completely taken over by the technology in his body. He became more machine than man… He became a Reaper."

It was the last thing he wanted to hear. Of all the things he could have to look forward to from this new nuisance, _becoming_ the thing that was hell bent on destroying him, wasn't even on the list.

"What happened to him?" he asked, his expression grim.

"He was killed. Sought by the few who knew of his existence including Anderson, but taken out by one of the Illusive Man's assassins in the end."

"What does this have to do with the conversation you heard?" he asked.

"Anderson seems to be aware of what Cerberus has done to you. When he was speaking to Kahlee, a data file pointing to this evidence was mentioned. Chief Williams, gave him that file…"

Shepard shot up off the couch, furious with her accusation. "What's that supposed to mean! You can't possibly think Ash knew all this time!"

Liara remained calm and stayed seated as Shepard fumed. "Perhaps your judgement is clouded because of your feelings for her Shepard." She suggested, raising her voice only slightly.

"I don't doubt that Ash gave him that file Liara." he said through his teeth. "She wouldn't know what was on it regardless. She's the most professional soldier I've ever known! She'd never break protocol!"

"I can see that I've upset you Shepard. Your reaction _is_ understanding. But don't you think it odd that just a day after she's assigned to work with you again, this information comes to the surface? Did she even tell you she was investigating Cerberus? Investigating you?"

Liara's last comment hung on the air like a thick fog that Shepard refused to let muddy his feelings. Her concern wasn't exactly out of place, but she was wrong about Ash and he knew it.

"Is this a jealousy thing?" he asked, his voice rigid and cold. "I don't take threats against her credibility lightly, no matter what or who the source Liara. I consider you my friend but I have to assume your coming from a place that caters to your obsession for information or that this is more personal than business."

She buckled slightly under the low blow, her wavering almost unnoticeable. "I did not mean to…"

"This conversation is over." he stated plainly as he headed for the door, stopping just before it opened and turning back to face her once more. "I appreciate everything you've done for me Liara. Without your help, I wouldn't even be standing here, and I'm grateful… but you don't know her. I don't expect you to trust her… I do however, expect you to trust me. I'm still here. I'm still in control and I'm asking you to back off."

She didn't react for a moment but just stood there letting his words soak in. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath, raised her head and responded. "I.. understand Shepard. I just… hope you know what you're doing."

He gave her a departing look that said _I feel sorry for you_, turned and walked out the door…


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - The Truth Is In the Data (Bioware owns all)**

Shepard and Ashley entered the elevator in the cargo hold with intense purpose upon their return to the Normandy. The anxiety between them was static as they ascended to the third level of the large ship.

"I'm coming with you this time Shepard." Ashley informed firmly, refusing to have to be filled in later. It wasn't a question but a statement. One Shepard knew he couldn't persuade. Had it been him in her position, he'd have said the same thing.

The elevator door opened and stepping out side by side, they continued on towards Miranda's quarters.

As the door opened the dark haired woman looked up at her visitors from behind her desk. She became instantly aware of the tension that came in with them and after pausing on it for a moment, she stood up looking slightly defeated. She didn't say a word, but waited to be addressed by her superior who's twisted expression had her curious and worried as to what was coming next.

Shepard wasn't interested in making Miranda comfortable anymore. He needed answers now and instead of taking the pending conversation to the small lounge at the back of the room, he stayed put standing in front of her desk as he began. "You were solely responsible for bringing me back exactly as I was. You spent two years rebuilding me, and you did it all under the watchful eye of the Illusive Man."

She listened carefully, still unsure of where he was going…

"Cerberus…. An organization that's willing to do _**anything… **_to get ahead.." he said, pausing after the last word. "I don't know why I didn't see it before."

Miranda looked thoroughly confused and a little frightened as she waited for him to continue…

"I need you to tell me how to remove this fucking Reaper tech you implanted in me… _**Now.**_" he growled leaning forward towards her, letting loose the alpha within him.

Miranda relaxed slightly at this then tensed up a second time as her body prepared for it's defense. Reacting quite the opposite of what he'd been expecting. "I never implanted you with Reaper technology Commander!" she exclaimed, her Aussie accent charming as ever, even as she barked back at his accusation. "My job was, as you said, to bring you back exactly as you were. I dedicated two years of my life to you and the Lazarus Project. I wouldn't have jeopardized any of it by doing something as reckless as implanting you with technology I know almost nothing about."

Ashley wasn't buying it and broke her silence, taking a protective stance beside Shepard. "If it wasn't you then who?" she questioned accusingly.

Miranda's eyes widened as she realized who the culprit was. The man who could have done this. The man who _**would**_ have done this. "Wilson…" she whispered. Shepard's brow lifted as the name hit his ears. Wilson… the man responsible for the attack on the Cerberus station upon his coming to. The man who'd tried to kill him before he'd even had the chance to really live… again.

Ashley picked up on the shock being shared between Miranda and Shepard as she herself began to put the pieces together. "Wilson.. Brian Wilson?" she asked Miranda. Shepard and Miranda turned their gazes to Williams, both looking slightly confused as to how she could possibly have any connection to the culprit. "Yes. His name was Brian. Did you know him Chief?" Miranda asked, surprised by Ashley's sudden recognition of a man she should never have known.

"No, I never met him. I retrieved a file signed by him on the last mission I returned from. All I knew was that it was a Cerberus file, the rest was encrypted except for his name."

"Ash." Shepard began. "Where's this file now?"

"I gave it to Anderson." she informed.

He thought for only a moment before responding. "I need to go speak to Garrus. Plot a course to the Citadel. We need to know how much Anderson's decrypted in that file."

"Got it skipper." Ash replied, then quickly stepped out the door.

Shepard looked up at the comm in the room displaying a force of habit that wasn't really necessary when addressing his ship. "EDI. I need you to send a message to Councilor Anderson. Let him know to expect a visit from me by this time tomorrow."

"Right away Shepard." She responded in her pleasant tone.

He looked back down at Miranda. She spoke before he could apologize. "I don't expect my past to just.. Go away Shepard. I worked with Cerberus for a long time. My loyalties lay with you now. Hopefully, someday you'll come to accept that." she asserted.

Shepard stared back at her and after a moment replied, "I'm getting there Miranda." He then turned for the door and turned the corner for the forward batteries. Upon entering the room he found Garrus standing at his console looking slightly amused. "You know Shepard… You shouldn't be so hard on Lawson." Garrus suggested as he turned around. "I take it you know something I don't?" Shepard asked, amused with this new sensitive side of Garrus he'd never seen.

"You asked me to keep my eyes and ears open. So I did." he replied crossing his arms and leaning back into his console casually.

"Mind filling me in?" he asked looking confused and curious as he took a seat in the corner of the small room.

Garrus handed Shepard a data pad that showed an email for what seemed to be a dating site.

* * *

_From: iPartner Connections_

_Rec'd 23:12_

_Miss Lawson_

_Username: LawBringerSR2_

_We have reviewed your application to join the iPartner group and are happy to accept you into the exclusive Diamond Circle, where the best meet the best! iPartner is proud to present you with our exclusive Diamond Circle benefits:_

_-Access your account as often as you wish -Unrestricted membership search across 23 systems -Review potential iPartners in full 360 vision* -Guaranteed first choice placement of your personal dossier_

_Welcome! iPartner Connections "Executive matches for selective people"_

_*iPartner reserves the right to censor inappropriate submissions _

* * *

Shepard looked up at Garrus amused but not quite understanding his point. "I wouldn't have placed her as the type to have a hard time getting a date Garrus, but what's your point?"

"Scroll down Shepard." He held the data in his hands and scrolled down to the next emails…

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: Illium_

_To: LawBringerSR2_

_From: PerfectMan01_

_21:09 PM: Hey there. New to all this iPartner stuff?_

_21:09 LB: Yes._

_21:10 PM: Well, maybe tell me about yourself. What sort of work do you do?_

_21:10 LB: I can't talk about that._

_21:10 PM: Like some kind of secret government spy stuff? Sounds dangerous! Heh._

_21:10 LB: Yes._

_21:12 PM: OK how about a little about you? What do you do for fun?_

_21:12 LB: Look, I don't really care about getting to know you. Upload your required medical exam results._

_21:14 PM: Sure. [UPLOADING]_

_21:20 LB: You had a mild case of Shintonial Abraxas 4 years ago._

_21:20 PM: Yes, but the doctors have_

_21:20 LB: [DISCONNECT]_

_Thank you for connecting to iPartner Connections! _

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: Omega_

_To: LawBringerSR2_

_From: TrueGent4evar_

_20:11 TG: Oh! My love is like a red, red rose that is new sprung_

_20:11 LB: [DISCONNECT]_

_Thank you for connecting to iPartner Connections! _

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: Citadel, Lower Wards_

_To: LawBringerSR2_

_From: HighRollerLLCJ_

_12:12 HR: Heeeeey baby! How's about a pic? Let's get this_

_12:12 LB [DISCONNECT]_

_Thank you for connecting to iPartner Connections! _

* * *

_Inter-Relay Text Chat_

_Location: Omega_

_To: LawBringerSR2_

_From: NoGames411_

_20:26 NG: [UPLOADING]_

_20:27 NG: Medical_

_21:02 LB: Looks clean._

_21:02 NG: Yes._

_21:02 LB: Apartment block D, 221 21:30_

_21:03 NG: Anything I should_

_21:03 LB: [DISCONNECT]_

_Thank you for connecting to iPartner Connections!_

* * *

_From: Illium Medical Center, Prenatal Care Department_

_RE: TEST RESULTS, PATIENT 12-66AD-1_

_Miss Lawson,_

_As per your request for privacy, this message will be removed from our database upon confirmation of send integrity._

_While we cannot firmly attribute the cause of the benign neoplasm to the irregularity in your genetic makeup, we can confirm that the progressive damage renders you unable to conceive a child._

_About 12 percent of human women ages 18-54 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant according to data obtained from the Institute of Species Reseach (ISR). There are many support groups if you wish to discuss your condition and several options available should you wish to consider the adoption of a child._

_If you require further consultation, please contact our communication officer._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Banner Grenway_

_Department Medical Director_

_Illium Medical Center _

* * *

Shepard read every word in each email carefully then set the data pad down and returned his attention to Garrus. "How did you get this information?" he asked.

"It was easier than you think. I downloaded it from her computer. EDI did most of the work breaking through the firewalls she'd put up. It's the only information I could find that wasn't directly or.. Indirectly related to the mission or you in some way." He paused for a moment before continuing… "I'm no expert on human emotions Commander, but I'm aware of how easily one can be… distracted when procreation is off the table." he said, in reference to the Krogan infertility. This could explain why someone with the intelligence and accountability Lawson has displayed could waver.

Shepard stood at this, his head down as he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks for this Garrus." He said taking the data in his hands. "Any investigation into the loyalty of Ms. Lawson can cease from here on out." He added, feeling ashamed.

"I thought you might say that. You did what you had to Shepard. I was suspicious myself." Garrus reassured as Shepard nodded his thanks, turned for the door, and proceeded down the corridor on his way to the CIC.


End file.
